Conversation Killers and How to Avoid Them

Your relationships are formed through conversations stacked end to end. So it pays to get rid of the mechanical things that cripple them. For starters, consider these four:

Pet Words and Phrases

Some people use favorite words out of habit—regardless of whether they’re appropriate in the context: Awesome. Absolutely. Sounds good. Right on. Right. Fabulous. Fantastic. Cool. Wow. Darling. Honey. Lousy.

Diego: We’re planning to go to a movie tonight.

Kim: Awesome!

Diego: We may grab a bite t...