Professional Small Talk Trainer

Welcome: Building Connections at Work!

Sawasdee! This lesson will teach you the essential skills of **Professional Small Talk**—the key to building trust and effective collaboration in any workplace.

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The Power of Small Talk (Part 1 of 2)

1. Definition & Goal (Slide 1)

• **Definition:** Informal, low-stakes conversation about general topics. It's polite conversation about unimportant things.
• **The Goal:** It is **phatic communication**—social, not informational. You're building a bridge from transactional to relational.

2. Why It Matters (Slide 2)

• Increases **Collaboration** and productivity.
• Builds **Trust** and psychological safety.
• **Career Mobility:** Being known and liked opens professional doors.

3. The Small Talk Cycle (Slide 3)

• **The Icebreaker (Initiate):** Finding a common point of reference. Example: "That's a great mug! Where did you get it?"
• **The Rapport Builder (Maintain):** Asking open-ended follow-up questions. Example: "What are you working on this week that you're most excited about?"
• **The Exit (Conclude):** Gracefully ending the conversation. Example: "Well, I should let you get back to that, but it was great catching up!"

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Small Talk Dos and Don'ts (Part 2 of 2)

1. Safe Topics: The P.E.O.P.L.E. Mnemonic (Slide 4)

Stick to these P.E.O.P.L.E. categories:

• **P**rojects (General work)
• **E**ntertainment (Movies, Books)
• **O**utside Interests (Hobbies, sports)
• **P**ositive News (Light company news)
• **L**ocation/Lunch (Local restaurants, office compliments)
• **E**nvironment (The weather, the room)

2. Topics to AVOID: The 3 R's (Slide 6)

Avoid these 3 R's—they are often too sensitive:

• **R**eligion (Personal beliefs)
• **R**omance/Sex (Personal relationships)
• **R**iches & **R**ank (Money/Politics)

3. Conversation Starters (Slide 5)

• **Good:** "What did you do to **recharge** this past weekend?" (References Past/Future)
• **Good:** "What's the highlight of your day been **so far**?" (References Professional Context)

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Exercise: Small Talk Dos and Don'ts (Quiz)

For each statement, decide if the action is **APPROPRIATE** (A) or **INAPPROPRIATE** (I) for professional small talk.

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CONGRATULATIONS!

, here are your results:

0%

0/10 Correct

Your score is below 80%. Please go back to Pages 2 and 3 to review the Small Talk rules before trying the quiz again!

You have successfully completed the Professional Small Talk lesson.

Remember: **Listen More, Talk Less, and Keep it P.E.O.P.L.E. safe!**

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