Small talk acts like social glue – here’s how to get better at it

Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock “Good weekend?” “Bit hot today, isn’t it!” “Back in the office again…” We rely on small talk like this, and being good at it is even seen as a mark of conversational competence. Yet its content can feel superficial. Once you notice formulaic expressions such as “how are you” aren’t asking the question genuinely, this sort of talk can seem like empty pleasantries or even inauthentic. So should we be seeking to abandon small talk, or is it fundamental to our social…