Image curtsey of Cup of Joe

1) Introduce Yourself

Don’t just say your name. Give the person something they can react to—it need not be complicated.

Do not say: Hello, my name is Alex.

Try this: Hello, my name is Alex. I work in this building on the 8^th floor.

 If you don’t do this, statistics say that 90% of the conversations will turn to weather. This is boring unless you are in the middle of a Category 5 Hurricane.

2) Ask Open Ended Questions

Avoid any question that could be answered in one word unless you are prepared with an open-ended follow up question.

3) Make Sure Your Conversation is a Volley

You need to make sure you say something, the other person reacts, you react to them, they react to you and so on.

If this hard, pretend you are the gracious host of the party and it is your job to make conversation flow.

4) Listen

 This is critical. Even if the conversation turns to their grandmother’s living room furniture, never look around the room while they’re talking.

Anything to Avoid?

Gossip: resist the urge. While this can make for easier conversation, studies point to the fact that office gossips are not trusted for positions of leadership.

If You Just Need a Good Joke

Check out American Public Radio’s Dinner Party Download. Every show starts with a short joke you can use!

And some good vintage office holiday pictures here.

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