All good? Busy day? Small talk is a social good with a bad reputation. We dread it, but it’s vital for human connection
Hi there, how’re you? How’s it going? You alright? All good?
As any Briton knows, none of these questions is an inquiry into your emotional state, the material conditions of your life or your opinion on anything. Respond positively – “all good so far, touch wood” is nice – then move on to the purpose of the interaction: “I’m returning an Amazon package?”
I communicate for a living and am nearly always in front of a camera, microphone, keyboard or live audience. Great conversation is a supreme design to me, an exquisite dance of mutual pleasure practised by true proficients who make it seem effortless. And then there’s small talk, the Primark version for everyday wear. That’s all the chat around the edges, the bits of make-do and banter. Busy day so far? What’s the traffic like?
But make no mistake – this kind of conversation isn’t superfluous, it’s vital. In fact, the work day doesn’t flow without small talk. It’s team building, not forced conversation, and it should occur simultaneously with a necessary interaction, transaction or service, to ease the movement like linguistic synovial fluid.
