Divert the question

• Rather than directly asking a delicate question, take the time to explain why you're asking and how you plan to use the information.
• Find an appropriate, private environment for a one-on-one conversation.

Suppose you know that you're going to meet a particular person or group of people. In that case, the chances are that meaningful conversation will not so much be derived from an exchange of personal information but from having a satisfying conversation about an interesting topic or issue.

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One way to avoid them is to “assume the burden of the conversation,” One might use self-disclosure to change the topic, and say, ‘Golf isn’t my thing, but I really like to cycle.’ Or, if someone asks about something sad or bad, throw the conversational ball back and say, ‘I just can’t talk about ...