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Meet-and-greet discussions can be uneasy. And they can feel particularly challenging when you’re coupled with complete strangers from various cultures, like when networking in an international service context. In this setting, light and introductory-style discussions (what a few of us called “little talk”) can be really valuable, and even needed. Little talk is a quasi-universal tool for starting discussions with complete strangers from various cultures, for constructing a fast relationship, and for planting the seeds of much deeper relationships– however how do you really do it?
To assist you better master the art of little talk, we’ll provide in this post a state of mind for how to believe about little talk and a series of habits for how to do little talk. The secret is to frame your job as getting familiarized with individuals– and you can do that by concentrating on resemblances, sharing something about yourself, observing something about the other individual, asking open-ended concerns, or perhaps merely stating hey there.
Picture that you’re attending your very first global conference. You’ve checked in at the welcome table, dutifully attached your name tag to your t-shirt, and entered the ballroom designated for the night’s networking occasion. You are all set to satisfy brand-new international coworkers in your market, however as you remain reluctantly by the punch bowl, you recognize that there’s simply one issue: You aren’t sure how to strike up a discussion with a complete stranger from a various culture.