Small Talk

16 . the fine art of small talk
Then go sit among your friends?
Now that I’d understand.
I’ll be at your next meeting,
and hope that you will spend
The time to introduce yourself,
I joined to be your friend.
At your next opportunity to spend time at a reception,
coffee break, hospitality suite, or wedding, look
around the room. Find that approachable person and include
him or her in conversation. Chances are, that person
is feeling as alone as you are.
SILENCE IS IMPOLITE
Spare yourself some pain and forget the adage that silence
is golden. I first recognized the downside of silence
while I was working as an engineer, side by side with a
peer who had the same academic credentials, tenure, and
work quality. We were considered equals in every sense of
the word. However, my colleague was outgoing and conversational.
Staff members in marketing, human resources,
and quality control knew her name, as did executives at