An article I read this week suggested chit chat as a way to avoid burnout at work. It was as much about taking a mental break from work as it was building friendships and relationships.

I think we often chalk up chit chat as a waste of time, or maybe just something to fill the time until we launch into a bigger conversation. But chit chat can actually lead to a better work environment if you’re willing to be strategic and intentional in your approach.

It’s why I think these sports topics could be handy this week.

If drama is your favorite genre of movies or shows, sports could also be right up your alley this week. Every game provides its own kind of drama, but this week features the start of the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Finals both of which are filled with storylines and drama. And in my opinion a little sports drama makes for great small talk.

With that in mind here are a few talking points you can use in small talk this week.

Circling back around. Checking in. Just following up.

Oft-used phrases when sending a follow up email. They’re accurate, but also boring. Few people I know get excited to read an email about circling back around.

To be clear, follow up emails need to take place. It’s part of the relationship building process, but there are usually ways to make it more interesting and engaging – like using sports.

“Checking in” might not grab my attention, “Checking in after a big win by the Rangers last night” does.

Sports provides easy and obvious follow up opportunities that are far more interesting than the usual business fallbacks. Give it a try this week using one of these sports topics.

“If you’re excited, they’ll be excited”

Those were the last minute instructions I overheard being given to the swarm of volunteers working a fundraising event Saturday night. The volunteers were tasked with selling raffle tickets and there was some trepidation over striking up conversations with strangers. The volunteer coordinator assured them it would be easier and the conversation would be smoother if they showed enthusiasm because, “if you’re excited, they’ll be excited.”

That’s a reminder that works for small talk - and really any conversation – too. If we’re listless and half-hearted in our efforts to strike up a conversation we shouldn’t be surprised when we’re met with that same energy. Instead, make it a point to be enthusiastic and watch how that interaction changes.

If you need some inspiration or a few sports topics to get the rolling, these will work this week.

Synonyms for “talk” include: confab, divulge, articulate, confer and confide.

Don’t ask me why I started going down this rabbit hole, but here’s what it got me thinking – those words are so much more interesting and descriptive than “talk.” It’s amazing how swapping one word for another can change the entire feel of the interaction.

So, what if we did that for the phrase small talk?

What if, instead of thinking it as chit chat, we think about it as a connection point?

What if we characterize it as a deliberate interaction?

I suspect that when we do that, we also become more intentional about the message we’re sending and the relationships we’re building. These sports topics can help with all of that this week.

I don't know about you, but my weekend included a parade. One that I was in! (Thank you to the Apple Blossom festival for asking me to be part of their big weekend of festivities.)

I was prepared for the smiling and waving - elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist. But I was little surprised by the amount of conversation that takes place on the parade route. The was a lot of small talk with folks as the car slowly made it's way down the two-mile parade route. Most of the small talk was about the Mariners or the fact that it was raining during the parade. Easy enough conversation starters since most people know me from Mariners TV broadcasts and the rain was a huge talking point for everyone. 

Sometimes small talk isn't that easy or obvious, which is when these sports topics could come in handy. 

I see sports connections and conversations everywhere – including the kitchen.

This week I’m launching a new season of I Cook, You Measure. If you haven’t heard about the show or watched an episode here’s what you should know – it’s part cooking instruction, part entertainment and all about connecting over food and wine. I cook with athletes and we talk sports, but mostly we’re just human beings eating and laughing together. It’s a show that could be a conversation starter for you, your family and your friends. You can find every episode of the show online and look for a new one dropping Thursday. Make sure to like and subscribe.

Here are a few other sports topics you can use this week.

You know that realization that you should have followed up and meant to send a note weeks, maybe even months, ago? We’ve all been there and then been in a position of trying to figure out what to say to get back on the radar without things being too awkward.

Here are my suggestions:

1. State the obvious. There’s no need to lie or to make up an excuse. Be honest in saying that it’s taken longer than you intended to follow up.
2. Use sports. Hockey and basketball playoffs are underway. That means we’re nearing the end of those seasons giving you a timeline to reference and create natural follow up opportunities. It might sound something like this: 

"It hit me while watching the NHL playoffs that we haven’t connected since the Winter Classic back in January. It’s taken me far longer than I intended to reach out. I’d love to get coffee on the books before we get to the Finals.”

Here are a few other sports topics you can use to spark a...

I don't spend a lot of time watching golf, but I do spend a fair amount of time reading golf headlines and stories.

In fact, it's how I've determined I'm currently a fan of Scottie Scheffler (which isn't too hard since he's the top-ranked golfer in the world.) You know what else? Reading headlines has given me enough information to engage in plenty of conversations with my golf-loving friends and colleagues. 

The moral of the story is - all you need are a few headlines like the ones listed in this week's list of sports conversation starters. 

The solar eclipse is making headlines this week, but I don’t expect to see anything but clouds Monday. I live in the Seattle area where cloudy, drizzly weather is common and highlights how unreliable (and boring) the weather is as a conversation starter. And yet it’s still the fallback for many people in small talk.

Level up those interactions and your conversation skills by having a handful of topics at the ready including these sports notes making headlines this week.