I had predetermined how the conversation was going to go, and I didn’t do a good job of listening or asking questions.

It’s happened a few times during the busyness of the last couple weeks. I’m not proud of it, and when it happens in small talk it’s not polite but the bigger issue is when it happens in bigger conversations. Over the weekend I caused unnecessary tension and an argument because I didn’t do a good job of listening or asking clarifying questions. I know better. I know how to communicate effectively and even I need a reminder and re-set in doing it.

Small talk is a great place to practice. It doesn’t require a large expenditure of time and training yourself to be a better listener can save you time in the future.

Use these topics to practice in small talk this week.  

Drama comes in many forms and sports has just about every kind you can think of. Unpredictable finishes, unlikely outcomes, tension between teammates, and even personal drama that makes it into the tabloids.

It's why fans talk about sports as being the best reality show on TV. I happen to agree.

If you're not interested in talking about the game itself you can talk about the drama around the team. It all counts as sports talk and it's just another way to connect with the people you encounter every week. Here are a few topics that work this week. 

After watching the Seattle Mariners clinch a playoff spot for the first time in 21 years, I was reminded of how much sports means to fans. Sure they celebrate wins, but they're also creating memories that span generations.

Don't overlook the value of a little bit of sports talk this week or what these conversation starters can do for you. 

Following results of every single game can be time consuming… and depending on the team you follow – tedious.

If you’re not the type of person who enjoys tracking daily or weekly results, you might appreciate lifetime achievements. Heck, who couldn’t appreciate career accomplishments that reflect a lifetime of hard work?

This is another example of how sports conversations can springboard to other business topics. You can use popular sports topic to start a conversation and then transition to something else, like the accomplishment you’re most proud of in Q3. (And if you think you shouldn’t, can’t or won’t talk about your personal accomplishments… keep an eye out for a blog on that this week.)

There are a couple career accomplishments in this week’s list of conversation starters plus a few other topics to talk about this week.

Busy, hectic, full... if all of these words could be used to describe your schedule these days, I get it.

I also understand that its easy to skip the small talk and just get down to work. Some days it's the best way to stay on track, but it's also worth remembering that you can have a complete conversation in less than a minute.

These sports conversation starters can help with short exchanges this week. 

The NFL regular season is underway and if you need a default conversation topic from now until the Super Bowl on February 12, football is a safe bet. Just consider the TV ratings from last season. NFL games accounted for 75 of the top 100 most watched TV programs in 2021 and the Top 5 most-watched programs were NFL games.

Millions of fans tune in for weekly games. They might not like every outcome, but they generally enjoy talking (or venting) about what happened.

The popularity of the NFL and football in general is why it’s most-often at the top of our weekly Conversation Starters list. You don’t have to go far to find a good talking point but there’s plenty of other options this week too.

A few weeks ago I suggested using NFL training camps to start conversations so you could circle back around with those football fans at the beginning of the regular season. This week marks the beginning of the NFL regular season. Now is great opportunity to circle back around and ask questions like these.

• How are you feeling about your team after watching them in the preseason?
• How many wins are you predicting for your team?
• Who do have winning the Super Bowl?

There’s more than just football to talk about, take a look at these topics making news this week.

Are you bored by your colleagues’ small talk every Monday?

Tired of hearing what they did over the weekend?

Not interested in seeing another video of a kid’s baseball tournament?

If you don’t like the topics they bring to the table, beat ‘em to the punch with a conversation starter of your own. If you don’t want to think too hard about it, use one of these sports topics to get the ball rolling and steer the conversation to where you want it to go.

College football starts this week, but what I hope you're starting this week is a new relationship as a result of small talk. 

Purposeful small talk can help you do that. These sports conversation starters can get the ball rolling. 

A quick search about small talk and effective small talk reveals lists of questions, articles on the “necessary evil” of it and hacks to make it easier.

What if you tried to personalize it instead of trying to avoid it? Instead of arming yourself with a list random questions or looking for an easy way out, what if you prepared for the conversation and walked away from the interaction having accomplished something? 

If you consider small talk a necessary evil of course you’re going to try and avoid it. If it’s always awkward you’re not going to initiate it and if you think it’s a waste of time you won’t bother putting yourself in position to have the conversation in the first place.

Small talk can be all of those things. Often because it’s not the conversation we prepare for.

We prepare for the big moments and the “real” conversation. We think small talk is something we endure or blow off altogether.  

Except it can also be the most pivotal moment in any conversation. Small talk...