Small talk turns out to be a big deal! Practise and observe your colleagues. A refresher on how to nail office small talk - The Sydney Morning Herald These days, astute managers invite meeting participants to join a scheduled virtual meeting even five minutes or so before the planned start time so they can simply chat. It takes at least 15 minutes talking about sports or beer until someone finally says, "OK, so the deal we are here to talk about". Also, be sensitive to the nature of the conversation. But its also worth stating what small talk is not. In Sydney they might say, the Roosters, for example.). The Australia Day Cockroach Races at the Story Bridge Hotel last week. Your email address will not be published. Its hard enough for any newcomer to the workplace, but when youre operating outside your first culture, it can be even more stressful. Scandinavians, on the other hand, are more comfortable with awkward silences than with awkward small talk, and the British TV show Very British Problems devoted an entire episode to the excruciating tactics that many Brits will resort to in an attempt to avoid small talk. Stereotypically, Americans are more tolerant of small talk than people from other places and expect to encounter it in social situations. Benefit from top class thought leadership, ugm consulting based in sydney, australia - operating in australia and internationally, well established by researchers such as Amy Edmondson. Small talk is a perfect topic to study whether you're advanced or just starting to learn English for beginners. Very polite! During the COVID-19 pandemic, some of these topics may not seem relevant or appropriate. Yanir Yakutiel, CEO and founder of Sail Funding. When it's done right small talk can help create a golden workplace culture where people feel safe, secure, and at home. Importance Of Small Talk in The Australian Office We should all have techniques to break the ice, so everyone can feel relaxed and be themselves. Here, I found it was quite the opposite. The results of the earlier study apparently reflected the strong positive effect that meaningful conversation has on happiness rather than any negative effects of small talk. There are also consistent gender differences in how small talk plays out. Am I required to make small talk? Jokes, banter is commonplace, giving nicknames is sign of acceptance, occasional swearing is common. Any exciting new projects/clients on the horizon? Children learn the most valuable lessons with other children, away from adults. Instead, they employ coercive techniques to persuade us to do their bidding. This allows Australians to achieve a level of surface friendliness across different relationships. Cookies allow us to record important information about how you arrive at, use, and move through this website. Charlie Wood, managing director for ANZ, Dropbox. The other thing that continues to surprise me is that despite the conservative business environment, Australians are, in fact, early adopters. Ice-breakers need to feel natural and unforced. How do you enter the workplace social inner sanctum? Australians value their work-life balance. Your ability to fit it can have a major influence on your career progression or whether you win that job interview. It also shows that you value their opinion. Stuart Allinson, managing director of BidEnergy. That goes hand in hand with how laid back it is! One of the reasons I wanted to move here [from the UK] was the embrace the work-life balance culture The other thing is the time zone. Nice to meet you, Alicia! How much detail should you give, if someone asks you a question? Everyone is given a fair go. Proceed with caution! Small talk is extremely important but its also socially and culturally complex. Angela Wylie. You'll find Aussies all over the world doing the same thing. While it feels good to get something off your chest, be aware of who's in the room (or the Zoom) when you're doing so. Irony and sarcasm are common in Australia, which can occasionally offend someone who is not familiar with this aspect of the culture. Kim, If you have a challenging client, situation, or problem in the office, this may be your opportunity to get some insight from your coworker. Trust is built and then maintained. You see this person every day, so you probably already know how theyre doing, without even asking the question. Psychology Today 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC. If someone asks, How are you? its ill-mannered to rant about your bad day. I arrived here as an expat 20 years ago originally on a working visa with Ernst & Young. If you receive emails from us, we may use certain analytics tools to capture data such as when you open our email or click on any links inside our emails. Coming from working in both London and Kuala Lumpur I've found Australia much more forward-thinking, with a work hard, play hard culture. At work i am struggling to come up with small conversations and now i feel more confident because of what you have provided. To resolve these views, we surveyed 151 full-time working adults three times a day for 15 consecutive workdays before the pandemic. I'm originally British and lived and worked in London for 12 years. It is an area that we need to watch as burn-out and work fatigue will become real concerns for companies and employees. Make sure you always use the video on function so that eye contact, facial expressions and gestures can be included to enrich your teams social communication. This small talk at the margins of a work conversation was probably something you scarcely even noticed. The country is so big that it covers five distinct time zones, so if you want to run a national business you need to cover a huge range of business hours that would be the equivalent of supporting a customer base in Western Europe or North America but with a much smaller population and potential market. Cool apps or useful websites, especially if they help you do work better. If the interviewer raises the topic, its good to have something to say in return. They prefer modest, humble, honest, self- deprecating and sense of humour personality. What are you currently watching on Netflix? Use it if it is your interest. As you can imagine, the most common topic of small talk at work is work! Consequently, you get to learn more across a wider portfolio, either horizontally or vertically. Analytics cookies:these cookies are used to track the use and performance of our website, email communications, and services, as indicated above. How can you segue from small talk to the substance of the formal agenda? There was another incident where I finally told her I didnt like her when she asked why I didnt want to be chatty. To us Poms it felt like a, somewhat warmer, home away from home. The reality is that Australians work really hard so more of the heavy lifting is done by the individual. Even Sydney Airport Arrivals has this plastered on a massive wall as soon as you get out of customs! I'm from the UK and worked in London for eight years before moving to Sydney. ), By asking more specific questions about their day, their morning, or their afternoon, the person can give you a more interesting response than Pretty good.. 2. By asking a question like this, you give your coworker a chance to share any recent successes that have led to these new projects or these new clients. Small talk should be polite, surface level, and focused on neutral topics, like the weather, sports, and TV shows. Im starting my first job soon at Spec Savers and will be using your tips to try and help me as its all new to me. You can slightly tweak the question: Would you mind telling me about your experience working on this project? In this context, it is important to note that video meetings encourage stronger personal connection than phone calls. This also gives you something to talk about the next time you see each other. You should avoid talking about your coworkers family, unless youre 100% sure that they have children. Sometimes I'm still surprised that we can speak the same language, and yet I've had conversations that have gone on for a few minutes before we've actually been able to communicate anything. It keeps me busy. Friendly social talk can come across as intrusive cross-examination. Making Small Talk in the Workplace with Colleagues and Coworkers You probably know by now that making small talk is an essential communication skill. . Jocular banter can be misinterpreted. A C-level executive at a national IT services firm. But because of this, many Australians choose not to socialise after work. It isnt gossip. A forced attempt to sustain conversation can create an even more uncomfortable environment than silence. In the American workplace, showing your ability to get along with your coworkers is an essential job skill. This question enables you to show interest in what your coworkers doing, but also what may be coming. After checking in with your coworker, the conversation may end as you both head back to your work. Fresh air strikes and shelling rock Khartoum as Sudan enters its - ABC What surprised me initially was that Australia's reputation for hitting the beach, beer and barbecue with the thinnest excuse proved to be true. Once your coworker mentions that they have children, then you can ask some questions about the family. Can You Spot a Narcissist by Their Eyebrows? Graham Jackson, CEO of Fluent Retail. Introductions. Matthew Kates, country manager for Australia and New Zealand at Zerto. We at Business Insider asked expats from our own office, and execs to find out what surprised them most about Australian working culture. To build trust and foster rapport, make sure that you regularly allow a little time to get to know your team members and also disclose small personal aspects of yourself, so that each interaction is balanced, not one-sided. There is very little consideration for hierarchy or seniority within the social structure. What is a suitable topic? Small talk breaks down barriers and, over time, helps people build even modest friendships. Australian Workplace Culture: Astounding Facts You Must Know Sure, working across a global business can have its challenges for leadership meetings but on the whole I've worked for US California-based companies for a while and it works well for me. 125K views 2 years ago Learn English with Alex Talking with co-workers can be awkward. Good day! What continues to be apparent the more time I spend in Australia is the "dance". It's about being able to be your real, authentic self at work. I was born in New Zealand, grew up across South-east Asia, went to university in Boston and then worked in NYC and London before Sydney. It can make someone feel uncomfortable if theyre single, divorced, or widowed. These brief, casual conversations are a great way to get to know new people, but they can be even more important in the workplace. One of the conclusions that many drew from these results was that engaging in small talk diminishes ones well-being. This question enables you to talk about something more creative, and not focus so much on work projects. My observation back then was in Australia, when compared with the UK and US, this was more skewed towards play rather than work as Australia's working days were typically shorter and holiday entitlements longer. Does your blood run cold when you receive an invitation to a cocktail party? Set aside an occasional team meeting solely for social talk. These minimum standards of employment include hours of work, flexible working arrangements and leave and related entitlements, amongst others. Before Covid, you probably chatted casually with your colleagues for a few minutes as you all arrived in a meeting room and settled down for a team catch up. Im really looking forward to it. Lets be honest: sometimes work can be repetitive or mundane, so asking about what inspires them is a little more interesting. A client meeting may be over lunchtime drinks versus sitting in a board room. Instead of preparing a list of killer ice-breakers to use at the interview: Dont use humour unless youre confident it will be taken in the right way. Weight and Physical Appearance Published on July 8, 2019 7 Inappropriate Conversation Topics in the Workplace Claudia Reiners In this post Show The actual topics of small talk do not matter very much; its purpose is not to convey information, but rather to serve as an opening act to warm up the audience for the meaty stuff to follow. You could also ask: The question you choose will depend on your coworker and your work environment. For example: "Beautiful day, isn't it?" "Lovely. https://englishwithkim.com/small-talk-better-questions-keep-conversation-going/, https://englishwithkim.com/category/small-talk-in-english/, https://englishwithkim.com/category/intonation/, https://englishwithkim.com/office-small-talk-interesting-work-related-questions/, Why Youre Having Trouble Pronouncing Words in American English, Practice Stress Patterns to Predict How to Say New Words, Clearly Say New, Unfamiliar, and Tricky Words with Word Stress and Contrast, Fast Speech Shortcuts English Speakers Use to Speak Quickly and Efficiently, Intonation For Clear Communication Why Intonation Is So Important in American English, Communicate Clearly with Your Voice in American English, Stress and Thought Groups in American English, Communication Skills: Express Yourself Clearly. Another reason I dont talk. However, its still related to work. When brief social routines are included during each working day, everyone reaps the big rewards of small talk! Because the program sets a fixed window for conversations, it can prevent productive work time from being eaten up something thats more difficult to manage in face-to-face settings.