Conversations and Small Talk - Overview

Sometimes your co-workers may try to make small talk with you.  Small talk is a short conversation where the purpose is to be friendly and to show interest in the other person.  Small talk is a normal and expected thing that happens in almost every work environment.
It is called “small talk” because the conversation is not long, serious, or in-depth.

Small talk is also known as “chatting.”  A co-worker may chat or make small talk because they need a break from what they are doing.  They might also chat because they are trying to get to know someone better.  They might also chat when they are not very busy.  Or, they may be able to chat while doing their work at the same time. 

Small talk at the work place might include the following topics:

Visit the Social Skills Toolbox for more help with communication skills.

What you did the night before or over the weekend
If you are busy at work that day
Current events or news
Questions about a hobby
Television shows, movies, or music
Plans for an upcoming weekend or holiday

It is okay to engage in small talk with co-workers for approximately five minutes or less before working as part of the greeting process, at the end of the day, or as a brief break during the work day.  You might engage in small talk for longer periods of time during a lunch break or after work.

	Topics of Conversation at Work

There are some conversation topics you should avoid when at work. 

Conversation topics to avoid include:

Politics
Religion
Salary
Personal financial problems
Personal questions about relationships
Sex
Personal health issues
Negative comments about other co-workers or your supervisor

You should avoid these topics because they are either controversial topics (politics and religion) or personal topics (salary and relationships).  You should steer clear from controversial topics because you could get into a disagreement about different points of view.  You should also avoid personal topics because people may not feel comfortable sharing or hearing that type of information.