Target wants its employees to spread some holiday cheer — whether they like it or not, according to a report. The Minneapolis-based retailer issued a new directive mandating in-store workers smile and ...

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I know I’m not alone in disliking small talk. Yes, I have a history of social anxiety. I mean, I once hid behind Tim Gunn’s grandfather clock to avoid small talk at a fundraiser at his apartment.

Small talk can be awkward and boring. It’s also a requisite skill to learn to participate as a socially adept person in society—as well as the workplace. But mustering “So, where are you going for ...

Introduction: Small talk, an informal social interaction in workplaces, has been overlooked in research on safety performance, which traditionally focuses on organizational factors (e.g., safety ...

Why some brains treat casual conversation like psychological warfare. The elevator doors closed, trapping eight people in what would become the longest forty-five seconds of their morning. "Some ...

A close-up of a barista making a delicious latte coffee with milk. “Maybe it’s just a midwestern thing, but can we please stop having the cashiers ask intrusive questions to the patrons as they check ...

People who can't handle small often come off as rude, but there's something deeper under the surface. There’s a big difference between someone who’s antisocial and someone who just doesn’t enjoy small ...

While small talk sometimes gets a bad rap, people who genuinely enjoy it know it serves a much deeper purpose than just filling awkward silences. Whether it’s chatting with a stranger at the coffee ...

Learning how to get better at small talk might not seem like much of a conversational superpower. Arguably everyone’s least favorite part of socializing, surface-level chitchat can be awkward, ...

I had been waiting all week to talk to a coworker about something urgent, so when we finally planned to meet at the coffee shop, I was relieved. I walked in, eager to share, but before I could tell ...

“I heard it’s supposed to rain this weekend.” “How about those Cubs?” “Did you hear about Ed, the escaped zebra from Tennessee?” If you groan at the thought of small talk, you’re not alone. More than ...