The Art of Talking to Anyone by Rosalie Maggio

Author:Rosalie Maggio
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies,Inc.
Published: 2005-07-11T16:00:00+00:00

Topics of Conversation

There are obviously exceptions to every guideline, so use your own antennae to determine what topics are suitable for your workplace and for the people with whom you’re talking at the moment.

The guiding principle about workplace conversations is that no one is being paid to shoot the breeze. Unlike conversations at social events, where you are relaxed and can idly talk about many topics, workplace conversations are primarily a bridge, a link, a way to pleasantly segue from one piece of work to the next.

If you pass someone in the hall, it is much friendlier to exchange a few words. If you’re waiting in an outer office to see someone, it is natural to strike up a brief conversation with anyone else who’s there. As you arrive in the morning or leave in the evening, you often converse with whoever’s going your way.

Work conversations often take place on the fly, as you’re walking, waiting, or busy doing something with your hands. Numerous small moments in the workday allow for friendly exchanges. This is really what is meant by “small talk.” Discussions about the work itself are in another category (they’re sometimes called “meetings”).

Most general topics lend themselves to this sort of small talk in the workplace. An exception is talking politics. Naturally, we all have freedom of speech, but water-cooler talk about political issues is, firstly, a distraction from work, and secondly, a source of potential conflict and ill-feeling that creates an officewide sense of uneasiness.

Those in positions of authority need to avoid expressing their own political preferences, as this places undue pressure on employees. Some civic-minded companies encourage their employees to vote. Others give them a day or half-day off to go to the polls. Still others go further, showing partisanship by means of a corporate decision to support a certain candidate or issue. This makes it difficult for employees who do not agree with the company’s choices. It’s best to keep politics out of the workplace.

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