5 Common Phrases that Sabotage Effective Communication
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I'M ONE TO TALK

Our Blog Posts will help you reach your full potential in becoming a confident conversationalist. New topics each week.

Sports Conversation Starters for Your Workweek

conversation starters Feb 16, 2025

The flight attendant greeting everyone on my Alaska Airlines flight Saturday night couldn’t have been nicer. She said hi to everyone boarding the plane, and every single passenger smiled and returned a greeting – even though we’d been delayed an hour.

The interactions weren’t long and often just a “Hello” but they made a noticeable difference.

You can have the same impact this week in greeting colleagues and engaging in small talk. Your interactions don’t have to be more than one word, but if you’re thinking about small talk these sports topics can help.

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Sports Conversation Starters for Your Workweek

conversation starters Feb 09, 2025

 

Just a reminder that the way you talk about the outcome of a game is part of your personal brand. You might separate your fandom from who are you are work, but that’s not necessarily how others see it.

It doesn’t matter if you liked the outcome or if you agreed with the ref's calls, hated the halftime show or think the money spent on Super Bowl commercials is a waste. Choose your words carefully in how you characterize the Big Game because it all points back to you in the end.

Speaking of your personal brand and conversation skills, I'm launching a new coaching program in March called Confident Conversations. It's 30 days of conversation skills and encouragement. Early Bird pricing of 40% off ends Wednesday. 

Here are a few additional conversation starters if you want more than the Super Bowl to talk about this week.

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Sports Conversation Starters for Your Workweek

conversation starters Feb 02, 2025

The Super Bowl isn’t just the biggest football game of the year, it’s one of the biggest events of the year period.

Of the 30 most-watched telecasts in the United States, 27 are Super Bowls. Global viewership topped 62 million last year, in addition to the 123 million viewers in the United States. And it’s not just about the game. It’s the parties, the food, the halftime show and the commercials. There’s something for everyone even if you haven’t watched any football this season.

All of that is to say I’m pretty sure your conversation starters are covered with the Big Game, but just in case you’d like a few other items to talk about, this list has you covered.

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Sports Conversation Starters for Your Workweek

conversation starters Jan 26, 2025

Did you know that we gained 1 minute and 52 seconds of daylight this month? It’s less than two minutes but it makes a big difference in how your day feels, especially for those of us in the Seattle area dreaming of long summer days.

That little factoid could make for a fun conversation starter this week along with the sports topics listed below. And just like a few seconds of daylight we’re gaining every day, the few seconds spent in small talk and conversation with colleagues can make a big difference.

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Sports Conversation Starters for Your Workweek

conversation starters Jan 19, 2025

You’ve got more leeway than you might think.

That was my takeaway after observing a little boy riding his bike yesterday morning. He was happily swerving along the paved path, exploring one side and then the other. After successfully dodging his maneuvers I realized I am the person who would try to ride in a straight line, but there’s a lot more leeway and more to explore than a straight line.

It’s true in our conversations too. Sometimes we get so dialed in and focused on saying the exact right thing we forget there’s a lot more leeway than we might think. We don’t have to be perfect in our conversation skills, just willing to explore.

Perhaps these sports topics can help you do just that.

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Sports Conversation Starters for Your Workweek

conversation starters Jan 12, 2025

 

Are you back in the swing of things? Are you trying to buckle down and get things done?

I totally get it and it’s why I want to remind you an exit strategy is just as important as a plan for how you’re going to initiate conversations.

For me an exit strategy includes a “task” that requires me to physically relocate. As in, “I’m going to eat my lunch and prep for my afternoon meetings at my desk.” Or “I’m going to get some fresh air and walk around the block before returning emails.”

It might not seem like much but it’s easier to extract yourself from a situation or to end a conversation if you’re clear on what comes next for you. Just something to consider after you use these sports conversation starters this week.

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Sports Conversation Starters for Your Workweek

conversation starters Jan 05, 2025

I promise the people you’re talking to are far more interesting when you set them up to succeed in a conversation. You can do that by offering specific conversation topics as starting points instead of hoping “How are you?” leads to something more than scripted conversational norms.

These sports topics can help with that.

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Sports Conversation Starters for Your Workweek

conversation starters Dec 29, 2024

 

A New Year typically brings new goals and resolutions... which loosely translates to change. It doesn't matter if you're focused on changing habits, hobbies or outcomes there's always going to be a moment of friction or uncertainty because those New Years resolutions are creating change. 

Here's my reminder to you - change can happen incrementally and there are ways to practice changing. It's everything from redecorating a room to choosing a new workout to trying a new recipe or even taking a different approach in small talk. 

Maybe your change agent is using sports, or using a different sport, in conversation this week. Perhaps these can help:

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Sports Conversation Starters for Your Workweek

conversation starters Dec 22, 2024

 

The holiday week means different things to different people and there's often a wide range of emotions that go along with it. 

More than encouraging sports talk or small talk this week, I want to encourage you to have a kind word for friends, family and even strangers because you just never know what someone is going through. 

And if you want to talk sports, these topics could help. Merry Christmas!

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Sports Conversation Starters for Your Workweek

conversation starters Dec 15, 2024

If you're feeling pressure to finish the year on a high note, you're not the only one. Every football team feels the same way. It's definitely crunch time around the NFL, and the College Football Playoffs start this week. 

Both are worth a small talk debate about which teams are in the best position to finish strong, but it's also worth considering your best bet for finishing strong.

Football teams will tell you it's not about working harder at this point in the season because it's just not possible given the injuries, fatigue and stress. They are more likely to look for small ways to make a big impact. You could be doing the same thing and finding ways to talk sporty this week. 

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