This is not necessarily desirable in the sense of work-life balance, but I would say the biggest change for me is in terms of productivity during working hours. How can you segue from small talk to the substance of the formal agenda? Hi there! It's a little awkward, but over the years I've had many conversations with fellow expats about how Australians are prone to laziness, at least compared with other countries like Britain, Ireland, and the US. A little bit of knowledge can be helpful as long as you dont pretend to be an expert when youre not. Of course, make sure its not a private conversation between two people. Devices down The first step to making small talk is to put your devices away. Religion 6. My afternoons been kind of slow. I am quite new at the job and want to improve the skill and your tips are really doable and realistic. Small talk is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as Polite conversation about unimportant or uncontroversial matters, especially as engaged in on social occasions.. Re-create casual collisions. Some organizations have found creative ways to orchestrate informal virtual interactions among employees. Making Small Talk in the Workplace with Colleagues and Coworkers You probably know by now that making small talk is an essential communication skill. It isnt gossip. Ive been focused on the presentation for my biggest client later this week. In a recent article on the topic, management experts Bob Frisch and Cary Greene summed it up this way, The chitchat, the side conversations that lift emotions and promote well-being is one way we strengthen and deepen relationships and is critical to building high performing teams. For these reasons, we encourage all our UGM clients to explore a range of ways they can intentionally facilitate in a virtual format those informal interactions that often arise spontaneously among colleagues who used to be face-to-face in the office every day. While some may fall prey to conspiracy theories more easily, anyone can fall for the "right" one due to biases in how they process information. When someone asks you this question, start with, When I was in that situation, I decided to and then share a few more details about what you did. One Spark client at a global law firm explained, During the pandemic it was important to us to make sure employees were still making the random connections you might find in a shared office space to help with innovation, building networks, and collaboration. At the same time, it enables them to show their wisdom from their past experiences, so once again, you show that you value their work. Youll speak clearly and confidently so that people will definitely understand (and listen to) what you have to say. With lighter intonation, the person will feel like youre truly interested in their answer. Sure! ), By asking more specific questions about their day, their morning, or their afternoon, the person can give you a more interesting response than Pretty good.. Thanks. All Rights Reserved. Psychological safety, put simply, is the belief that you can speak up and speak your mind without the risk of punishment of humiliation. Dont mention orthodontists. Dwelling on weather is one of the most common small conversation topics for almost any event in Great Britain. You didnt usually go into your next meeting without the social lubricant of small talk first. Another great question that works really well in the workplace is: You can use any verb that seems like it makes sense for your workplace. However, if you feel uncomfortable, or youre not sure what to ask, dont worry about it! Weight and Physical Appearance Published on July 8, 2019 7 Inappropriate Conversation Topics in the Workplace Claudia Reiners In this post Show I use it all the time. They found that though small talk was both uplifting and distracting to employees, the positives outweighed the negatives, and the negatives could be managed. Drawing on our research, we offer managers and employees the following advice: Encourage new social rituals. When you ask these questions, pay attention to your intonation. Research even suggests that chance encounters and spontaneous conversations with our coworkers can spark collaboration, improving our creativity, innovation, and performance. At the same time, they felt less focused on and less engaged in their work tasks, which limited their ability to assist others. Women alienated from STEM careers by entrenched workplace cultures 125K views 2 years ago Learn English with Alex Talking with co-workers can be awkward. This makes small talk a bit of a social paradox and raises the question: Is it ultimately more helpful or more hurtful to employees daily lives? In a taxi. This information is collected anonymously and we cannot identify you personally from this information. The data from this comment form will only be used to respond to your comment. Why Small Talk Is a Big Deal | Psychology Today Australia 7 Inappropriate Conversation Topics in the Workplace In this post 1. This data helps us to gauge the effectiveness of our communications and marketing campaigns. It oils the wheels and makes it easier to pick up the phone and ask someone for some information or assistance that will help you progress a tricky step or navigate a blockage in a pressing project. Your relationship status is considered part of your private life, and its completely normal not to mention anything about your relationships outside of work. Australia is shockingly expensive. Understanding Workplace Culture For Internship Australia Please send some ideas to be nicer and help my colleagues on their last day of work on Fridays. Very polite! This video will give you some foundational language to make small talk and connect more with your. Make sure you always use the video on function so that eye contact, facial expressions and gestures can be included to enrich your teams social communication. There is a sense of camaraderie and community and, in turn, these have been shown to support productivity. How to make small talk at work: What to say - YouTube As well as fostering trust, networks and connection, small talk also helps people transition from activity to activity throughout the working day. Before Covid, you probably chatted casually with your colleagues for a few minutes as you all arrived in a meeting room and settled down for a team catch up. Small talk is important to us in other ways, putting us at ease and helping us transition to more serious topics like negotiations, job interviews, sales pitches, and performance evaluations. You may want to sign up for my email list to get more insights: https://englishwithkim.com/stayintouch . Learn more and adjust your preferences in Cookie Settings. which can prove beneficial in improving socialization between employees . Im happy to hear that this article helped you understand how small talk changes inside the workplace. Kit Young, head of photography at Vinomofo. It takes at least 15 minutes talking about sports or beer until someone finally says, "OK, so the deal we are here to talk about". The other thing that does continue to surprise me is that despite a reputation for "calling it as you see it", some Australians can be remarkably shy about saying what they think. As a Brit, who has spent many years living in the US, workplaces to me were often places where people tried to avoid confrontation; skating around awkward conversations and hiding behind emails. I certainly see a significant difference in how "hard" people are willing to work to achieve productivity gains. In Mehls study, 79 undergraduate students wore an electronic device that recorded 30 seconds of sound every 12.5 minutes for four days. I also feel like people socialise less after work here than in London. Small talk should be polite, surface level, and focused on neutral topics, like the weather, sports, and TV shows. You can slightly tweak the question: Would you mind telling me about your experience working on this project? During the COVID-19 pandemic, some of these topics may not seem relevant or appropriate. Now my employer wants me to engage in small talk with her to keep her happy so she doesnt have any more fits. It can even help you get access to more job opportunities because your coworkers will have a chance to get to know you. As an expat, I see that the culture here is for Australians to work very hard and take their jobs and careers very seriously. We might be laid back, but being late is uncool. Similarly, we often avoid talking about family. As you can imagine, the most common topic of small talk at work is work! I like to receive more!! Am I required to make small talk? 2015 OBP Australia. But because of this, many Australians choose not to socialise after work. Once your coworker mentions that they have children, then you can ask some questions about the family. It also isnt an in-depth or sensitive conversation about someones personal problems. I think this is epitomised by so many companies closing for a week or more over the holidays to ensure their staff has down time to spend with family and enjoy the summer. My observation back then was in Australia, when compared with the UK and US, this was more skewed towards play rather than work as Australia's working days were typically shorter and holiday entitlements longer. The workplace culture in Australia allows people to socialise during their working hours. Highlighting the ways small talk can boost employee happiness as well as the companys bottom line can win over people who tend to self-isolate. In this context, it is important to note that video meetings encourage stronger personal connection than phone calls. Try these thoughtful questions to check-in during a crisis.). Its on route to my sisters house. Im going to try that with my client. They grow your network, provide you with information, and make uncomfortable situations more bearable. We've fallen in to the trap of focusing on the 24-hour news cycle and the monthly results instead of having a long-term plan that involves real investment in our population and our capabilities. Functionality cookies:these cookies provide functionality that makes using our service more convenient and makes providing more personalized features possible. Encourage employees to take charge of their own social healthby building in daily social breaks. "Snitching" can be thought of as a form of "good gossip" that serves the interests of a group. If you feel comfortable with your coworker, this question can help you get a valuable opinion from them. (Please note that during a global pandemic such as COVID-19, the way people feel about health-related questions will change. But please never ask a married coworker if they plan to have children! I have to say overall there's much more of a "get shit done in work hours" type attitude here than elsewhere. Small talk is a perfect topic to study whether you're advanced or just starting to learn English for beginners. We definitely behave and speak differently around colleagues context is key to communicating well. That's kind of fun actually. Instead of preparing a list of killer ice-breakers to use at the interview: Dont use humour unless youre confident it will be taken in the right way. By asking a question like this, you give your coworker a chance to share any recent successes that have led to these new projects or these new clients. But if youre both taking a longer break, preparing coffee or tea, or waiting for photocopies, you may have a little bit more time to talk. Ms Selenge lived in a traditional Mongolian ger. Just because we might be working remotely doesnt mean that casual conversations are no longer important. Whether youre asking about a challenge or you simply want to hear your coworkers perspective on staying organized, managing their to-do list, scheduling meetings, or bookkeeping, this question shows that youre interested in your coworkers style of work. Got any plans? Topics are open and can be shared by almost anyone. Learning what is appropriate to say in certain situations will come with time, but you need to work at it and challenge yourself by stepping out of your social comfort zone. A script is a pattern of interaction that clearly articulates the target behaviour. (Some have asked to remain anonymous). How Blame and Shame Can Fuel Depression in Rape Victims, Getting More Hugs Is Linked to Fewer Symptoms of Depression, Interacting With Outgroup Members Reduces Prejudice, Practice Improves the Potential for Future Plasticity, How Financial Infidelity Can Affect Your Gray Divorce, a waste of time and as an impediment to a meaningful conversation, a study by psychologist Mathias Mehl and his colleagues, studies indicate that people are happier when they talk to others, Why We Are Suckers for Conspiracy Theories, Why "Snitching" Makes Us So Uncomfortable. I hope my tips help you connect with your new colleagues. Hi, very nice article. Australian workplace is quite an informal. Think of small talk as a tool that negotiates and defines a relationship. Use it if it is your interest. While it feels good to get something off your chest, be aware of who's in the room (or the Zoom) when you're doing so. Ready to express your meaning through how you use your voice? Asking about their childrens interests or hobbies is a neutral conversation topic. They prefer modest, humble, honest, self- deprecating and sense of humour personality. Jessica Arrowsmith, beauty editor of Popsugar Australia. Certain key factors make the Australian work culture unique. If youve ever avoided a conversation with a colleague, or felt like you were strangely silent when your coworker tried to engage you in a conversation, this video will help. When it's done right small talk can help create a golden workplace culture where people feel safe, secure, and at home. Cookie Policy |Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy. There are also consistent gender differences in how small talk plays out. After checking in with your coworker, the conversation may end as you both head back to your work. "No worries" actually means just that. Thats why its a good idea to build in time at the start of every meeting for members to greet one another, exchange pleasantries, and ask playful questions. However, managers can find ways to integrate it into virtual settings and use new tools to make it more inclusive and productive. On Monday, a typical question might be, Did you have a good weekend? On Friday, it could be something like, Looks as if the weathers going to be good! I have a lot of additional resources on intonation and tone of voice that can help you: https://englishwithkim.com/category/intonation/. If youre new to a team or department, you may want to find out more about your colleagues experience working with a certain project or a certain client. Small talk is extremely important but its also socially and culturally complex. My son is doing Year 12 this year and you wouldnt believe how much homework he gets.. Stereotypically, Americans are more tolerant of small talk than people from other places and expect to encounter it in social situations. The biggest and most pleasant surprise is that Australians are equally serious about making sure there is a balance between work and other areas of their life like family and health. Knowing when to initiate small talk and also knowing when to move on and escalate the level of discourse beyond the mundane will make you a popular conversational partner. Research reveals why social mobs enjoy cancelling people. You can adjust all of your cookie settings by navigating the tabs on the left hand side of this menu. Bane Hunter, executive director of GetSwift, Seven out of ten Australians think English is crucial to national identityDavid Freund.
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