Small talk doesn't have to be awkward. Here are five research-backed strategies to turn brief conversations into real ...

“So many people—myself included—avoid small talk, dread networking events, and assume that certain topics just won’t be ...

But in his new book A Little More Social, Nicholas Epley shows that engaging in small talk with strangers, or taking the ...

Small talk has been a pain point for me for years, but it sank to new lows at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. I was at the playground one day, sweating in a K-95 while pushing my maskless ...

Small talk may be the most maligned category of conversation. For many, it's a time-waster with no redeeming qualities other than mindless chatter. Yet, when properly understood and applied, small ...

Clever people understand the value of exchanging pleasantries at work - it’s a chance to learn a lot of useful stuff ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. ‘If you think small talk is boring, that may be a skill issue.’Illustration: Guardian Design/Panther Media Global/Alamy ...

Small talk is a fact of life. And while some people are naturals, the rest of us struggle to know what to say during casual chit-chat. Those awkward silences grow painful, and leave you feeling like a ...

By Rosemary Ravinal There’s something about spring. The days get longer and the energy shifts. Flowers bloom, birds pair up, ...

Few people admit to liking small talk. A banal conversation about the weather or repeating tales about your weekend to your colleagues may be fine in the office kitchen, but it's not how we'd want the ...

We’ve all been there. Whether it’s checking out at a store or trying to lull the awkwardness when meeting someone new, small talk has been used by all of us. For some people, having these little ...