Introductions & Small Talk
Someone tells you: "I hate small talk. It's pointless"
Give TWO reasons why small talk is important to prove them wrong.
- Build trust
- Breaks ice/reduces awkwardness
- Shows friendliness
- Opens door to future conversations
- Build connections
Which person is following the 50/50 rule the best?
A. Sam talks for five minutes straight without asking a question.
B. Jordan asks five questions but never shares anything about themselves.
C. Taylor shares a story, asks a question, and lets the other person respond before speaking again.
D. Chris interrupts whenever they think of something.
C. Taylor shares a story, asks a question, and lets the other person respond before speaking again.
Which part of communication is nonverbal?
A. Asking a follow-up question
B. Nodding while someone is talking
C. Giving directions
D. Explaining your opinion
B. Nodding while someone is talking
Which state is MOST accurate?
A. If you feel an emotion, you must act on it.
B. Emotions and behaviors are the same thing.
C. The best way to deal with emotions is to ignore them.
D. Emotions happen automatically, but behaviors are choices we make.
D. Emotions happen automatically, but behaviors are choices we make.
Which action is NOT self-advocacy?
A. Requesting additional training
B. Telling your supervisor to lower expectations because it is too difficult
C. Asking questions before starting a task you're unsure about
D. Asking for a reasonable accommodation
B. Telling your supervisor to lower expectations because it is too difficult
Which of these answers is the LEAST appropriate when introducing yourself to a new coworker?
A. What kind of work do you do here?
B. What do you like to do outside of work?
C. Are you dating anyone?
D. What department do you work in?
Someone tells you: "I finally got accepted into nursing school!"
What is the BEST response?
A. "That's cool."
B. "That reminds me, I need to schedule a doctor's appointment."
C. "Nice! My cousin is a nurse."
D. "Congratulations! What made you decide to go into nursing?"
D. "Congratulations! What made you decide to go into nursing?"
A coworker says: "Great job on that project."
Which version is MOST likely to make you question whether they really mean it?
A. Smiling with enthusiastic tone
B. Flat tone while looking away
C. Nodding while saying it
D. Smiling with eye contact
B. Flat tone while looking away
*Their verbal and nonverbal communication don't match (mixed messages)*
A coworker says they're "fine", but they are quieter than usual.
What should you do first?
A. Ask if they're angry
B. Notice the change, but avoid assuming how they feel
C. Tell your supervisor something is wrong
D. Respect their answer and don't bring it up
B. Notice the change, but avoid assuming how they feel
You have been trained on a task twice, but you're still making mistakes. Your supervisor asks if everything is going okay.
What should you do?
Any answers similar to the following:
- Be honest about what you're struggling with
- Explain specifically where you're getting stuck
- Mention what you have already tried
- Ask for a specific accommodation
- Speak respectfully and work towards a solution
You ask your coworker: "How was your weekend?"
They respond, "Pretty good. I went fishing with my brother."
According to the small talk formula, what is the best next response?
*Add-on comment + Return Question*
"Nice! Where did you go fishing?"
"I've never been fishing. What do you like about it?"
"That sounds fun! Did you catch anything?"
You're talking with a coworker who suddenly starts giving one-word answers, looking at their watch, and begins gathering their belongings.
What is the most likely explanation?
A. They're bored with you
B. They want to end the conversation
C. They're angry
D. They're being rude
B. They want to end the conversation
*One signal alone doesn't always mean they want to leave or end the conversation, but several of them together often do*
Rank these communication mistakes from MOST to LEAST likely to create a misunderstanding.
- Speaking too quickly
- Looking at your phone while someone is talking
- Using a sarcastic tone
- Giving clear directions
MOST to LEAST:
1. Using a sarcastic tone
2. Looking at your phone while someone is talking
3. Speaking too quickly
4. Giving clear directions
Which statement is a thought disguised as an emotion?
A. "I feel anxious"
B. "I feel frustrated"
C. "I feel ignored"
D. "I feel excited"
C. "I feel ignored"
Which employee is LEAST likely to benefit from asking for help?
A. An employee who has tried several solutions and is still stuck
B. An employee who doesn't understand the directions
C. An employee who believes asking questions makes them look incompetent
D. An employee who forgot one step but has a checklist
D. An employee who forgot one step but has a checklist
You're at a networking event for work.
Rank these openings from BEST TO WORST:
- "Did you watch the election?"
- "What do you do in your role here?"
- "Why did you breakup with your partner?"
- "Have you been to one of these events before?"
Best to worst:
1. "Have you been to one of these events before?"
2. "What do you do in your role here?"
3. "Did you watch the election?"
4. "Why did you breakup with your partner?"
You're talking with someone about vacation plans.
You suddenly ask them: "So...have you seen the new Superman movie?"
What conversation skill did you skip?
Any of these are acceptable:
- You failed to stay on topic
- You forgot to ask a follow-up question before changing topics
- You did not give a transition phrase
A coworker says: "Can you help me for a minute?"
Name THREE different nonverbal behaviors that could make your response sound: helpful, annoyed, and uninterested
Helpful: smile, face the person, relaxed posture, friendly tone, nodding
Annoyed: eyeroll, sigh, crossed arms, irritated tone
Uninterested: looking at phone, avoiding eye contact, walking away, flat tone
Two employees receive the exact same feedback from their supervisor: "I'd like you to be more organized."
Employee A: Thinks, "I must be terrible at this job." They become discouraged and stop asking questions
Employee B: Thinks, "This is something I can improve." They ask for examples and make a plan.
According to our previous lesson, what is the biggest reason their outcomes were different?
Their thoughts about the situation were different. The situation was the same, but different thoughts led to different emotions, behaviors, and outcomes
*Emotion cycle*
A new employee learns best by seeing tasks broken down for them before trying independently.
Which accommodation would be BEST?
A. Scheduled breaks
B. Extra training
C. Visual schedule/checklist
D. Extra processing time
B. Extra training
Two people meet for the first time.
Person A: "Hi! I'm John. Nice to meet you."
Person B: "Hello, nice to meet you too."
The conversation immediately dies.
Identify THREE things either person could have done to keep the conversation going.
- Person B could have said their name back
- Person B could have asked a question first
- Person A could have asked for Person B's name
- Either person could have asked a follow-up question
Three people are talking. One person has been silent for a while now.
What are THREE things you could do to include them naturally?
Any three are acceptable:
- Ask for their opinion
- Acknowledge something they said earlier
- Make space by pausing, looking at them, and letting them speak
- Avoid dominating the conversation
- Ask an open-ended question to them
- Make eye contact with them
A coworker says "I'm fine."
Identify THREE different nonverbal cues that could completely change what you think they actually mean.
- Tone of voice
- Facial expressions
- Eye contact
- Body language
- Gestures
- Personal space
Discussion: Give an example of how each cue might change the meaning
Which sequence best represents the emotion cycle?
A. Emotion ---> situation ---> behavior ---> thought ---> outcome
B. Situation ---> thought ---> emotion ---> behavior ---> outcome
C. Thought ---> situation ---> behavior ---> emotion ---> outcome
D. Situation ---> emotion ---> thought ---> outcome ---> behavior
B. Situation ---> thought ---> emotion ---> behavior ---> outcome
An employee says: "I don't want to bother my supervisor, so I'll keep trying even though I think I'm doing the task incorrectly."
Which principle from the lesson is this employee violating the MOST?
A. Ask problems before they escalate
B. Speak respectfully
C. Know your strengths
D. Make your own choices
A. Ask problems before they escalate