I got distracted on TikTok last night. Not the kind of distracted you're thinking about, though. I sat down with full intention to scroll mindlessly and instead found myself reading hundreds of comments on a single video.

The video was all about good dinner party questions. I found myself in a rabbit hole reading question after question after question.

I laughed at some (What is the biggest animal you honestly think you could beat in a fight with your bare hands?) And felt stumped about others (Would you rather know the date you will die, or the date your significant other will die?)

Besides these questions making me want to throw a question-themed dinner party, I remembered the best conversational tip I ever learned: The FORD method.

FORD is an acronym that stands for Family • Occupation • Recreation • Dreams.

If you find yourself in a conversation and you're not sure what to say, ask about:

Family

• Where did you grow up?

• How long have you and your partner been together?

• What's one of your family traditions you're excited to continue?

Occupation

• How did you become interested in XYZ?

• What part of your job do you wish you could share more of?

• What made you decide to work where you do?

Recreation

• What's the most interesting thing you've done in the last year?

• What hobby do you wish you had more time for these days?

• What are you looking forward to in the next few weeks?

Dreams

• What is your bucket-list travel destination?

• What hobby do you want to try, but you're worried it's too late to get started?

• What is a food you've always wanted to try?

What are your favorite questions to get to know people better?