Striking up a conversation—especially with a stranger—is a lot like adding kindling to a fire pit and hoping it ignites. Choose the wrong starter, and the flame will fizzle out. But when you get it ...

People love to complain about small talk – but it’s a great way to build rapport and dip your toe into deeper topics ...

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 ...

You’re standing in line at the supermarket or drugstore when a stranger speaks up. “Hello, how are you?” the stranger greets you. “Good, and you?” might be your response. Your conversation partner ...

Conversations, whether at holiday parties or other times of the year, don’t have to be awkward. (Getty Images) Between holiday dinners with relatives you haven’t heard from all year, office parties ...

In 2010, one of the students at the English language program where I volunteered asked me to dance. We've been together for 14 years, and having open conversations is a big part of our relationship.

Small talk is a common element of workplace environments, but some welcome it more than others, research shows, and some avoid it altogether. Other research has found that while the presence of ...

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 ...

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic persists, there’s hope that life will return to some level of normalcy in 2022. This includes more opportunities to meet new people and build friendships, a process ...

The art of office small talk is dying out because younger workers feel more comfortable communicating online, according to research. A poll, of 2,000 employed adults, found 74 percent struggle to make ...

I believe we’re all just one conversation away from our next breakthrough. While technology has revolutionized how we learn and connect—allowing us to absorb information via Zoom or online ...