The Value of Office Small Talk

It’s called “water-cooler talk,” or just shootin’ the breeze. It’s the non-productive chitchat that occurs in every office every day of the week, especially Monday. And it’s the bane of many productivity-obsessed bosses. But is it communications? Is there any value in it? Should it be discouraged?

Like anything, too much is too much. Nothing of value happens in a business environment if people spend the bulk of their time talking about topics unrelated to the business at hand – the NFL playoffs, stock tips, a big family event, complaints about the weather, golf scores, vacation plans, and the like.

This kind of internal communication, if practiced in moderation, is indeed valuable.

Let’s face it, people comprise businesses. And these people have lives outside the office: families, celebrations, illnesses, hobbies, pet peeves, and passions unrelated to their 9-5 responsibilities.

Knowing a person’s interests outside the office often gives us clues about what makes them tick – how they operate, how they think, who they are, what they’re truly good at. Having such insights into and connections with the people we work with regularly, or even occasionally, can be valuable in the long run.

For instance, common interests can create strong foundations for establishing and sustaining important working relationships. It’s the proverbial icebreaker that gives us entry to tackling difficult and challenging work-related subjects day-in and day-out.

The ability to open a Monday morning business meeting with a brief rehash of a Sunday afternoon football game eases us into a discussion of how to address a vexing customer relations issue or a challenging technical glitch. Or it enables a manager to soften the blow of some bad news. Maybe it serves as an appropriate metaphor for or segue to the topic at hand.

Small talk can also help us connect with people at remote locations. It can be fun working with people in other locations when your respective favorite professional football, baseball or basketball teams play each other. You can speculate ahead of the big game, needle one another, gloat a little if your team wins, or make lame excuses if your team loses.

We’ve all had to work with people about whom we know nothing; people who think the personal side of our lives is an inappropriate topic for office discussions; people who dive straight into the topic at hand every time, with no preamble discussion beyond a perfunctory “good morning.” Think about your working relationships with those kinds of people. Would the word “sterile” describe it? Did you feel you could trust them? Did you enjoy working with them? I dare say the answer to these questions is “no.”

Consider the opposite. Suppose you work for or with someone who opens conversations by asking how your son is doing in his first year away at college, or about your wife’s job with a company that isn’t doing well, or inquiring about the health of your ailing mother. You’re going to have a different kind of relationship with that kind of boss than the former.

This person operates on an entirely different plane. Instead of a terse “let’s get down to business,” by acknowledging the personal issues that may be distracting you at the moment, your colleague indicates a personal stake in your life and an awareness that you may not be on top of your game that day. Showing that we are concerned about each other’s welfare and personal challenges is a sign of respect for the person as a whole being.

There’s still another side to office chitchat, with perhaps a business benefit. Suppose a water cooler discussion one day reveals the fact that a co-worker lives next door to someone you know as a valuable contact in your particular field. Maybe your water cooler friend is in R&D and you’re in sales. As a tech guy, maybe he didn’t think of his neighbor as a potential customer. But you know the name and so you ask your office buddy for an introduction, or perhaps you finagle an invitation to a neighborhood Christmas party where you hope to meet this neighbor. There's nothing wrong with that, especially if it leads to new business.

Similarly, maybe someone’s outside hobby has some bearing on the business that they hadn’t thought of. Or maybe a realization that a new hire’s single-digit golf handicap indicates the kind of dedication and perseverance you’re looking for as a new member to your team.

The point is, we are all people for whom the work-a-day routine is but one facet of our lives. To recognize that is good. It is a sign of respect for our colleagues as individuals, acknowledging their unique selves that they bring to the job every day.