Looking for a beverage that is a little more interesting that still water and reasonably healthy? A New York Times article says that plain sparkling water has no known downsides. Additives raise some questions, but are generally better than most sodas.
Archives for October 2016
Quote: Leadership
Small Talk Matters
People feel busier than ever, and often more isolated and lonely than ever. One key factor that is least understood by most busy leaders is the value of “small talk”. A recent Wall Street Journal article opened with…
“Anyone who passes regularly through busy public spaces knows that one casualty of our obsession with digital devices has been small talk. With our eyes glued to our smartphones, fewer of us engage anymore with people whom we don’t know well. But are we missing something in this loss of idle chitchat?”
When coaching high performance, task-focused clients, many of those clients find “small talk” a distraction. It’s even irritating to them when others open with chit chat. The truth is that it may be their most valuable time at work.
The WSJ study cited in the article looks at many personal benefits. We also know it is a great source of understanding of the Other Person’s Point of View™ (OPPOV™), which is key to understanding, persuasion, and influence.
The article describes 6 tips:
- Find common ground.
- Commiserate.
- Go deep.
- Embrace ignorance.
- Ask interesting questions.
- Exit gracefully.
Effective “small talk” or chit chat is an important tool. Our smartphones are a likely enemy of this valuable skill. I have usually found that people are very willing to engage in conversation rather than pretend their smartphone has something important to tell them.