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Small talk is anything but. It can make a big impact—nurturing relationships, even—when done right. Small talk allows you to have interactions that support deeper human connection. Back in the Before Times when meetings took place in Conference Room A, small talk was a natural part of the event as participants arrived in the conference room. It was a relatively easy, common form of communication and no one really thought a lot about it.
Now that we’re in the hybrid world of work, small talk matters more than ever. That’s because the increase in virtual activities has spawned a humanity deficit at work. But for many of us, it feels a little more challenging on the small screen. Here’s what you can do to make small talk yield big dividends.
Research participants before the meeting
Check out the list of meeting attendees before you gather. Google them or check out their LinkedIn profile. Look for connection points: maybe you used to live in the same city, or you share a passion for interior design. Then, look at their latest activity to read what they’ve been posting or commenting on. There’s valuable fodder for meaningful banter when you take the time to check out people in advance.
Get your questions ready
One of the best ways to connect with others is to demonstrate your curiosity, so have your questions queued up, avoiding the awkward silence. Skip the trite, expected questions such as Where are you joining from? and What’s the weather like today?
Opt for more interesting ones such as:
- What’s your favorite activity outside of work?
- What’s the greatest piece of advice you’ve ever received?
- In one word, how do you minimize stress?
- What’s your favorite quote?
- What’s the best technique you’ve learned for mastering virtual meetings?
Make it visual
Since approximately 65% of people are visual learners, use a visual to spark pre-meeting conversation. Put a question on the screen. If you’re the host or you have permission to share, share your screen with a vibrant PowerPoint or Keynote slide featuring a provocative question. Or place a riddle on the screen to see who can solve it. Or share a surprising stat that’s relevant to the theme of the meeting. Like “84% of customers make purchases after watching an explainer video.”
Make it fair
In virtual meetings, it’s easy to hang out in the background. To make sure everyone gets the opportunity to share and to get to know each other, go through the participant list to make sure everyone has the chance to contribute. Call on (in a gentle way) those who may not be speaking up.
Use tech
To spark discussion, use a poll or word cloud for participants to engage in when they join. Then, share the responses and use the results as the starting point for discussion. Or use a whiteboard and encourage participants to write their response to a question like “What are you grateful for today?” or “What did you learn this week?”
Prep for it
Although it’s fun to have the small talk happen organically, it can be hard for some people to engage on the spot. Instead, be a little more deliberate and organize the small-talk topic in advance. In the meeting agenda or invitation, let participants know ahead of time: “As you join, we’ll be talking about Topic X. Or watch this video before the meeting. We’d love to hear your thoughts about it when you join the meeting.”
Build it in
Since many of us are moving from one Zoom meeting to the next, there may be little time for small talk, and that reduces the opportunity for relationship building and bonding. If that’s the case at your organization, make the first item on your meeting agenda an opportunity for small talk. It may seem frivolous, but it’s the glue the holds the meeting—and the team—together.
William Arruda is a keynote speaker, co-founder of CareerBlast.TV and co-creator of the Personal Brand Power Audit - a complimentary quiz that helps you measure the strength of personal brand.
