Master of the small talk
By bounce58
@bounce58 (17385)
Canada
February 16, 2011 11:06am CST
If you were on a date, are you comfortable making small talk?
I work in a union-shop where management staff get people on the floor to do things to keep the company going. Even though it is the rank-and-file’s job to the things as management sees fit, they can often dodge their responsibilities within the bounds of union rules and regulations. This is where some small talk is sometimes necessary to make people at ease, or make people see the directions or the reasons of their tasks. These small talk could come in the form of talking about the weather, cracking a joke, etc.
I could still get people to do what I want, at work. So, I can claim a little bit of mastery in the small-talk category.
Sometimes I even practice at different places. Like the cashier at the till, a waiter in the restaurant, or other passengers when I take public transportation.
How about you? Are you a master of the small talk? Where and when do you exercise this mastery?
Do you often find that you have to engage in this to get a few things done?
2 people like this
11 responses
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
16 Feb 11
I am quite the chatter box, bounce. I am very good at getting just about anyone to speak without invading their privacy. I have a way of getting people to open up without crossing any boundaries. I do know my limits, lol
I can exercise this "master" just about anywhere, let it be an event, meeting, work and online. I do feel that engaging in small talk certainly helps to accomplish a few things as I do not consider myself and or others to be robots as we are humans so we have to say something in order to work together.
1 person likes this
@bounce58 (17385)
• Canada
19 Feb 11
I think I get that from you hardworkinggurl.
For some reason, it comes across here on myLot. Initially, I thought you were just living up to your username, but from seeing you in different types of discussion here, I realize it is just your personality.
Glad to have met you here.
@kingparker (9673)
• United States
17 Feb 11
At work, it was quite boring for the whole day, so some of us within our department always engage in a small talks. We just do some funny jokes, or gossips, or other trivial conversation all along. Nothing big or significant. That is how our days go by though.
1 person likes this
@buggles64 (2709)
• United States
16 Feb 11
I am good "making small talk", but i hardly refer to myself as a "master" of small talk. It is important to be able to talk to people in different situations.
1 person likes this
@sender621 (14893)
• United States
16 Feb 11
I have always been able at making small talk. It is just easy for me to do whether it is at work or something more relaxing.1 person likes this
@SIMPLYD (90721)
• Philippines
17 Feb 11
yes, i am a bit of a master of small talk.
Sometimes, when my boss hasn't arrived yet , i would entertain her visitors meanwhile that she isn't around. I share them stories about the company to which they will enthusiastically ask questions. That being so, they don't mind waiting. 
My boss would be so thankful to me afterward.
My boss would be so thankful to me afterward.
@SIMPLYD (90721)
• Philippines
20 Feb 11
I sometimes say that and she would laugh back. So guess, that's why she gave me a cash bonus last December, aside from the company's bonus. 
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
20 Feb 11
No. I am less shy but I Still won't start a conversation unless it is sports related. I have no problem walking over to a guy wearing my team's jersey and say what is the score . I did that with a guy at the metro . I asked the score.But just talking about the weather? No.
@bounce58 (17385)
• Canada
22 Feb 11
That's what I love about sports. You could be two different people, from different backgrounds, but when it comes to sports you could be speaking the same language. Specially if you root for the same team. You know that he or she is also agonizing if the other team scores, and you could be exchanging high-fives if your team scores.
1 person likes this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
22 Feb 11
I love that too.Sports bring all of us together. I feel sorry for the non sports fan, especially women non sports fans. They don't know what they are missing!
@Phaedra_Scythe (3325)
•
16 Feb 11
I like making small talk when I get out because I really enjoy meeting people and sharing a smile. People are usually happy to chat to you if they can tell you're genuinely interested in hearing what they have to say.
I think if I met someone that I found attractive though, I might get a little flustered! Tongue-tied to be precise!
@bounce58 (17385)
• Canada
19 Feb 11
I think that's the most difficult part. Trying to show genuine interest even if you know that it is just 'small talk'.
And if it is somebody attractive, that would be doubly-difficult, I agree. I would be self-conscious too!
But would enjoy it nonetheless.
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
16 Feb 11
I currently work in customer service, so yes, small talk is important.. I can't let the customers feel like I'm ignoring them while making their sandwich, so I do attempt a conversation if they appear open to it and if anything pops into my head. I do enjoy having conversations with various people, I consider myself a people person, I love to chat.. and being home with the kids all day doesn't give me much opportunity for chatting.. so when I'm at work or out in public I can easily strike up conversations with strangers. I've always been well known for that. I have always felt very comfortable talking to people, and will even tell perfect strangers very personal things about myself (something I'm working on doing less of.. it's just weird!).
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
19 Feb 11
That story is not something I consider extremely personal. Which gives you an idea of how personal I've gotten with strangers!
@bounce58 (17385)
• Canada
19 Feb 11
...will even tell perfect strangers very personal things about myself...
I think I've had a little bit of that with your story about the 'hubby-playdate'. Which by the way, I still find very interesting.
I think I'd rather have the person making my sandwich make conversations than not. Just to make sure that he or she is normal. And not out to get me, or put some silly ingredient on my sandwhich. 
Which by the way, I still find very interesting.
I think I'd rather have the person making my sandwich make conversations than not. Just to make sure that he or she is normal. And not out to get me, or put some silly ingredient on my sandwhich. 
@maezee (41988)
• United States
17 Jul 11
I feel like there's a difference between small talk and talking on a date, to point out firstly.. I feel like small talk is what people do as a nicety - when they don't care to get to know you, but are just being friendly and chatty. Usually about the weather. I deal with this all day every day. Weather, weather, sometimes a community event that's going on, sometimes weekend plans, more weather, weather, weather, sometimes sports (until the person I am small talkin' with realizes that I am not into sports..AT ALL). I'm not sure if it's just a Minnesotan/Midwestern thing - but we love the freakin' weather. Drives me nuts. Because when you have 50 customers or more a day - it's a broken record. It's just a circle. I'm pretty OK at it and I get better each and every day, but sometimes you just run out of stuff to talk about. LOL. Now back when I worked at ONE store instead of floating around the entire company, and I knew my regular customers very well - I could ask them how their work was going, which school their kids decided on, how this and that is going... And it would be a real conversation because I knew them on a more personal level than the people I deal with now. Ahh, oh well.
As far as date-talk. Haven't done that in years. I can usually manage to find some kind of common bond we have though - at least with co-workers and people I party with. Dates can't be much different..right?
@meganjean17 (40)
•
16 Feb 11
I'm awful at small talk but if someone else is chatty straight off without the small talk i'm absolutely fine!
