What Do You Say After You Say Hello?

The title of this blog post comes from the 1960s self-help book written by Transactional Analysis (TA) pioneer Eric Berne.

For many of us, office small talk is the bane of our existence. Not only is empty conversation annoying, it contributes to the hamster-on-the-wheel monotony our offices seem so good at delivering.

Whether you love, hate, or are indifferent to these conversations, I'm curious to know what YOU say after "hello."

Many hallway conversations go like this:

Person A: "Hey, how's it going?"

Person B: "I'm good. And you?"

Person A: "Good, thanks."

If we have that exchange everyday for a year, and then on day no. 366 we extend the conversation with an additional "stroke," we're likely to raise the suspicion of the person we're talking to. Of course, if the conversation is regularly extended, people can move relationships beyond those of mere coworkers, and friendships can develop.

Read more of my post at US News & World Report.

Comments

[Johanne]

When casual acquaintances meet, I think it usually goes "Hi, Hello, Good-bye".

[William]

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