Practical Tips to Make Small Talk Less Painful and More Productive
I hate small talk. I assume you have no interest in what I did on the weekend and while you comment on the ref’s poor call in the 4th quarter of last night’s grand final, I’m depleting my valuable introvert energy pretending I know what you’re talking about. When are we going to start discussing the report due this afternoon, or how we will cover for Amanda while she’s out sick for the rest of the week? Why do we engage in this dance of façade of personal interest before we address the important matters? Understanding that there must be some social / psychological / long-term objective achieving reasoning for these interactions, I did some research to find to find out why, and how, we talk about superficial matters as a prelude to substantial conversations.
Small Talk has Secret Powers!
I’m currently standing near the food table at a BBQ fundraiser for the local footy club. (Equally applicable examples include school events, social work functions, networking events) Witnessing a flowing conversation of back-and-forth, a few laughs and lots of nodding between two people whose relationship is something other than friend or family, I think 1 of 2 things — these people are incredibly skilled at faking their investment in the conversation or, they genuinely care about this interaction. I envy…