As of: March 29, 2024, 4:58 a.m
By: Marco Blanco Ucles
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Press
Split
In everyday office life you often find yourself in the situation of having to make small talk. There are a few things you should keep in mind - and above all, avoid making mistakes.
No matter whether in the coffee kitchen, waiting for the elevator or in the canteen. Small talk has always been part of everyday life in the working world. People like to talk to colleagues about the weather, weekend plans or the next vacation. Even though it can be tiring at times, small talk can definitely help you build good relationships with your work colleagues. “Much more important than the content of the conversation is the sympathetic, friendly and authentic interaction with colleagues,” says
Jobteaser.com
. With these five tips you can have a good small talk and build a stronger bond with your colleagues:
1. Preparation is important – even when it comes to small talk
Of course, it's much easier to start a conversation on a casual level if you already have information about the other person. What are their hobbies? Where did she spend her last vacation? To do this, you should always keep an open ear in the office when colleagues are talking to each other. Without, of course, listening when they discuss confidential topics.
Jobteaser.com
explains this using an example: “The colleague complains about traffic jams on the way to work during her lunch break? Then tell her about your journey, which is probably just as stressful.”
Regardless of whether it is in the hallway or somewhere else in the office: small talk is encountered again and again in the working world. (Symbolic image) © Westend61/IMAGO
2. Avoid controversial topics in small talk
Even though the subject matter of small talk is broad, there are some things you simply shouldn't discuss at your workplace. This involves content that is controversial or viewed as taboo, such as religion, sexuality or politics. Even if your work colleague may be going through a relationship crisis, you should not interfere. This puts you on thin ice quickly. In the worst case, the conversation becomes uncomfortable for the person you're talking to and it's difficult for you to steer the conversation back in the direction you want, warns
Indeed
.
3. Make eye contact and smile
Facial expressions and gestures also play a role in a conversation. Therefore, try to keep making eye contact with the person you are talking to and – if the situation allows – to smile every now and then. If you don't do this, you will quickly appear apathetic and uninterested. You wouldn't like that from the person you're talking to, so be sure to pay attention to this.
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4. Don't talk about yourself too much
Especially if you don't know your colleagues very well yet, you should avoid saying too much about yourself during the conversation. Avoid starting a conversation with a narrative about you, your strengths, or your successes. As a result, you can quickly be perceived as arrogant and not particularly liked by your colleagues, warns
Jobteaser.com
. Instead, you should show and radiate serious interest in the person you are talking to. This will make you seem likeable, interested and polite.
5. Come up with creative questions during small talk
Few things are more unpleasant than realizing while talking to a work colleague that you have run out of things to talk about - awkward silence is often the result. Especially if you have gotten to know the person you are talking to a little better, you can ask a more unusual question. Examples of this would be: “What is your favorite food?” or “Which country have you always wanted to travel to?” You will see: This creates completely new topics and you can get to know your colleague even better.