Frustrating Conversations? This Skill Is The Key.
Your ultimate guide to rapport
I was surrounded by people but felt completely alone.
It was 1996, my first sweltering summer in Japan.
Looking to escape the baking heat, I’d ducked into a small, local yakitori restaurant, sweat dripping down my face.
The place fell silent, everyone staring — not with hostility but with surprise.
Two guys at the table next to me exchanged whispers, clearly eager to talk.
They spoke no English, and I spoke almost no Japanese.
I noticed one wearing a Manchester United football shirt.
Smiling, I pointed to my chest and said, “Manchester.” (I was born nearby.)
And the table erupted in conversation.
Well, not really conversation, but connection.
It was a mix of broken English and worse Japanese.
But we communicated and became friends that night — all because of a red football shirt.
How was this possible with such limited language skills?
The answer — the power of rapport.
