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Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio.
Good morning. This is Laura.
Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is to become a confident conversationalist.
If you feel shy or awkward striking up conversations or chatting with colleagues, let this be the year when you build your skills.
so you can feel great about your interactions.
During my recent Better Workday Challenge, lots of participants mentioned that they sometimes felt uncomfortable striking up conversations with their colleagues.
It felt easier to just keep their heads down and communicate electronically.
So if you feel a little self -conscious about chit -chat, know that you are not alone.
But if you are not developing relationships with people at work, you might be missing out.
Connecting with your colleagues can make you more effective at your job, and it can also help you feel happier and more comfortable at work.
So if you are feeling uncomfortable or shy about connecting, here are some tips.
First, friendly questions are conversational openers.
Asking someone something that invites authentic sharing, but isn't invasive, is likely to start a positive conversation.
So always have some light questions ready.
For instance, on a Friday, you could ask people what they're looking forward to over the weekend.
On Monday, you could ask if they did anything exciting or fun or memorable.
On any day, you could ask someone about their interests.
If you know your colleague likes to read, you could ask her what she's reading now.
If you know a colleague likes to go out to restaurants with her daughter, you could ask what they've tried recently.
There's a reason people bond over sports.
There are lots of games, and they always provide an opening for conversation.
Did you see the Grizzlies game last night?
That sort of thing.
Of course, it's also helpful to have something ready to share if someone asks you what you've been up to lately.
Aim to choose something positive.
Even if you have been dealing with an insurance claim for a tree that fell on your roof, talking about that probably won't lift either of your moods.
Though, if you've got a funny anecdote about the process, you could tell that.
In addition to choosing a topic that's upbeat, also aim for something that gives a window into what's important to you.
As in, I've been loving this mild weather and I've gotten back into cycling lately.
Or, I'm helping my neighbor get ready for her new baby.
Last weekend I helped her paint the nursery.
Or, I've been learning Spanish lately to get ready for a trip to Buenos Aires this spring.
This will give any colleague with reasonable social skills an opening to ask you more about these topics.
As you both share what you are excited about, you'll be sure to find common ground.
In addition to in -person chit -chat, also try to build in connection when you're communicating across distance.
One option could be sending a message on the Zoom call to a person who you feel has a little bit of friend potential.
Just notice things.
You could write something like, I love that painting behind you.
Is there a story behind it?
It can also be good to include a sentence in emails that's more personal before you get to the main business of the message.
So something like, I hope you enjoyed the long weekend.
I was grateful for the extra time to plan my garden this spring.
You don't want to make your email ridiculously long, but offering a little tidbit about yourself can foster a greater sense of connection.
if connecting with colleagues still seems intimidating you could seek out more structure and guidance for your efforts to become a good conversationalist some people find it helpful to participate in toastmasters or a similar group that's all about building and practicing your speaking skills in a friendly
environment in any case since we all have to talk to people all the time, you'd think we could do it well.
But that is not always true.
Conversation is a skill like anything else.
Some people are naturally better at it than others, but we can all get better.
And getting better can make work feel more welcoming and fun.
In the meantime, this is Laura.
Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of our time.
Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.
If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at laura at lauravandercam .com.
Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia.
For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
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