Social skills challenge · Warm-up
Ask a stranger for a recommendation
Ask one person you don't know for a recommendation today — best dish on the menu, a good coffee place nearby, which of two products they'd pick.
Why this works
Asking for a small favor is counterintuitively likeable (people enjoy being useful), and recommendations are the easiest ask there is. It also gives the other person an effortless way to keep talking if they want to.
How to do it
- 1
Pick a genuine micro-decision you'll face today: what to order, which route, which of two options to buy.
- 2
Ask the nearest plausible person: "Have you tried anything here that's good?" or "Quick question — which of these would you pick?"
- 3
Take the recommendation seriously — nod, consider it, ideally follow it. Being visibly influenced is the compliment.
- 4
Close the loop if you can: "Went with your pick — good call." That one line is where tiny conversations start.
If your brain is fighting you
The fear is 'I'm bothering them.' Flip it: people love being asked for their opinion — it says their taste is worth something. You're not extracting a favor, you're handing them a small moment of being the expert. If they shrug and say 'dunno' — fine, ask the next person or the staff. The rep was the asking.
Felt easy? Level up
Ask for the recommendation, follow it, and report back to the same person. The callback turns one interaction into two.
Go deeper
The full guides behind this challenge:
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More challenges at this level
- Wait without your phoneEvery time you wait today — elevator, queue, coffee machine — keep your phone in your pocket. Just stand there, look around, and be available.
- Learn and use one nameLearn one new person's name today — ask if you have to — and use it once naturally before the conversation ends.
- Say hi to three peopleMake eye contact, smile, and say hi to three people you pass today — neighbors, colleagues, the person at the front desk. Nothing more required.