These "reductive" questions can instantly make a conversation feel heavy, etiquette expert Alison Cheperdak says.

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As someone with emotional intelligence, you know this isn’t the way to go. Instead of spending your time chatting about the weather and meaningless topics with colleagues, you want to build strong ...

Small talk often gets a bad rap. It can feel awkward, superficial and pointless at times — if you're doing it wrong. But it's one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal to build relationships, ...

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 ...

"Skip the Small Talk" events offer speed-friending to the shy and the bold. A room filled with people talking and sharing their thoughts can be either an extrovert's dream or an introvert's nightmare.

A new study in the United Kingdom reveals that office small talk is becoming less common, particularly among younger generations. About 74% of adults say they struggle to make light conversation in ...

Small talk is anything but. It can make a big impact—nurturing relationships, even—when done right. Small talk allows you to have interactions that support deeper human connection. Back in the Before ...

Charles Duhigg, author of "The Power of Habit," argues that small talk isn't an innate skill, but rather a learned behavior that can be studied and crafted to perfectly suit any situation — whether ...