Latest news with #smalltalk
RNZ News
26-05-2025
- Science
- RNZ News
The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves
science life and society 41 minutes ago Talk isn't cheap, it's powerful. The right conversation can build trust, foster belonging, and show people they matter. But as Harvard's Dr. Alison Wood Brooks has found, sometimes we're just not that great at it. Her new book offers practical advice on how to prep and master small talk, and how to really listen. It's called Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves.
Washington Post
23-05-2025
- Science
- Washington Post
How to boost happiness with just a minute of small talk
Well+Being How to boost happiness with just a minute of small talk May 23, 2025 | 7:22 PM GMT Several studies have shown that brief social interactions with strangers can make us happier and increase our sense of belonging. In a 2014 study, researchers at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business asked people to talk to strangers on the train. Many thought that their fellow commuters wouldn't be open to conversation. But in the experiment, both parties felt more positive after interacting with each other.
Forbes
23-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Smart Leaders Know When To Skip The Small Talk—Here's Why
When leaders use small talk with purpose, it connects. When they don't, it distracts. How do you prevent small talk during meetings so it doesn't run over time? You feel the pain. The Zoom meeting opens with five minutes of discussions about weekend plans. Team members become overexcited about their fantasy football teams, or individuals chat about the latest Netflix hit. It's friendly. It's harmless. But by the third meeting of the day, it starts to feel like deja vu. Small talk is baked into workplace culture as a signal of approachability. It's a tool for leaders to build rapport. But when every conversation begins with pleasantries, momentum suffers. Focus drifts. People scream on the inside when a meeting that could have been an email runs over, especially on a Friday afternoon. Studies are showing that small talk improves collaboration. Workers feel that they belong and enjoy the office 'gossip.' KU News reported that one-third of our speech is derived from small talk. In leadership, it's a surprisingly potent tool. Done well, it sets a cultural tone. When a leader takes a moment to ask about someone's weekend or comment on a shared interest, it humanizes their role. However, 74% of people struggle to make light conversation with coworkers, according to an article in the New York Post. Forty percent of Gen Z prefer communicating online using WhatsApp rather than chatting in meetings. When every meeting opens with a five-minute chat, multiply that by five meetings daily, and you've just lost 25 minutes of strategic execution. This paradox presents a critical question for leaders: how can they balance relational warmth with operational clarity? Leaders who show genuine interest in employees' lives often score higher in employee satisfaction and engagement metrics. These micro-interactions act as deposits in a trust bank that leaders can draw on during high-stress moments. Fast-paced organizations with complex situations require employees to make decisions quickly. Engaging in excessive small talk reveals hesitation. It also shows an insufficient sense of urgency because it is a protective mechanism for uncomfortable discussions. Small talk builds bridges until it becomes a traffic jam. Executives now use a direct communication approach, which omits all small talk. The purpose of this approach is to value everyone's time and make the execution strategy clear. Prominent leaders such as Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO, and the late Andy Grove, CEO of Intel, have consistently promoted the need for direct and meaningful communication during meetings. Running this type of meeting requires acknowledging that everyone has much to say. Then, highlight the time crunch that team members face. A simple 'Let's jump in. I know we're tight on time' communicates efficiency and empathy. Small talk is a great tool for specific occasions like individual meetings and team retreats because these situations focus on relationship building rather than decision-making. Smart leaders don't eliminate small talk. They schedule it. Here's how they manage it: Small talk, when unchecked, becomes conversational clutter. Leaders who master the art of knowing when to connect and when to cut to the chase gain a distinct edge. These leaders earn trust without wasting time.
Wall Street Journal
15-05-2025
- General
- Wall Street Journal
This Potato Salad Recipe Will Send You Straight to the Top of Everyone's Guest List
Social gatherings used to be so easy. All you had to do was climb the ranks of society, master the art of small talk, strap on multiple constrictive layers and know which of twenty-four utensils to use. Today, as we navigate very-casual dinner parties, cookouts, backyard hangs, holiday gatherings and movie nights, it's far more stressful due to four loaded words: 'What can I bring?' Bringing a dish to a party is not a competition, but it also kind of is. Everyone wants theirs to be the one that spurs second helpings and whispers of 'Did you try that?!'
The Sun
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
BGT's Simon Cowell reveals crippling secret battle that forced him to leave A-list bash
SIMON Cowell admits he's "socially inept" and has revealed the unexpected bonus that his TV shows have given him which has helped him through his shyness. Cowell, 65, said he desperately struggles to make small talk and told how he became so stressed at Joan Collins's party that he had to leave just half an hour after sitting at the table. 5 5 The BGT judge revealed that becoming recognised as the man behind hit shows like American Idol, The X Factor, and Britain's Got Talent, had helped him. He admitted that it made it easier for him to have conversations as people would talk about the programmes and their stars - topics he felt comfortable chatting about. Speaking on Elizabeth Day's How To Fail podcast, Cowell said: "I am very shy - like I can't go to a pre-party. "It's my worst thing in the world - making small talk with people I don't know. "If we have a common subject I'm pretty good. "But years ago, if I had to go to a party, particularly if you have to stand up with a drink, with horrible food, and just talk to people you don't know, it's torture. "So once I was known by people it was kind of good because it broke the ice with people you meet, so instantly they know you, you're talking about something I like, which is the shows or the artists or whatever. "So it kind of helped me with my shyness." Cowell, engaged to Lauren Silverman, with whom he has a son Eric aged 11, added: "But still now Lauren is brilliant in these positions. I'm hopeless. "Joan Collins had a birthday party, and I'm 'How do I get out of it? I can't.' BGT's Simon baffled fans as he SLAMS semi-final act - despite putting them through "And I said to Lauren 'I'll go, but we have to time it, because there'll be a horrible stand-up pre-drinks'. I can't do that. "At the same time, Joan is a diva, and if you're late she'll kill me, so I'm trying to balance everything. "I think we've timed it well - we didn't. For 45 minutes I had to talk to people and I was dying inside. "I was so stressed by the time I got to the table, I left after about 30 minutes, because I just can't deal with it. Draining." Describing it as one of his failures, Cowell admitted: "That is one of them. I am socially inept." Simon's famously blunt feedback, which sometimes crossed the line of being harsh to the contestants, made him a household name in the world of Talent shows. The TV personality wasn't afraid to tell the singing hopefuls that they sounded like 'garbage,' that they had 'no talent' or that their audition was a 'complete and utter waste of time' - all of which are direct quotes he had said to the contestants at some point. He became a fan favourite due to his lovable charm and sharp sense of humour. Many fans seemed to agree with Simon's critique of the singers making him beloved and one of the leading talent scouts in the music industry of the past two decades. 5 5 5
