CHITCHAT, GOSSIP AND SMALL TALK
Chitchatting is casual talk or gossip. But nowadays it includes written communication like texts, tweets, WhatsApp messages, snaps, and no doubt a load of other instant messaging platform apps. We humans are naturally attracted to gossip, and if we’re not careful, we get caught up in a web which is hard to escape.
Remember this:
We’re all ordinary and idiotic sometimes, but our goal as high achievers is to spend most of our time as intelligent people, by having clever conversations. As for slander and discussions that lead nowhere, avoid them like the plague.
Do tread with caution, however. There are times when a conversation might appear as though it’s mere chitchatting, while in reality it’s bringing people together. It’s building a bridge between two people—an important activity that was earlier discussed in the subsection Cherish Your People.
A friend of mine owns an office supplies company, and every other day he goes to the warehouse cafeteria during lunchtime to meet his blue-collar employees. While he engages in casual conversations with them, his aim is to keep an eye on the morale of troops. He told me he notices when an employee is underperforming and can often perceive when something else is going on in their life, because he knows his people well. It’s then easier to help this person out. He may start by talking about his weekend, sport results, or movies, before addressing the real issue, but in engaging in small talk, people often let their guard down, especially if you show you actually care by taking the time out to talk to them.
You’re not a machine; you’re a human being with social needs, and it’s your duty as a leader to facilitate the building of relationships.
If you’re unable to have deep, transformational conversations with one of your employees, it might still be better to exchange a few words about anything than having no exchange at all. What you convey is more important than what you say.
All conversations that don’t contribute to your GRAND VISION need to be eliminated. To reiterate an important point: comforting, supporting, and boosting people’s morale around you falls under your remit as a business owner. That’s not to be confused with chitchatting. Nurture useful conversations and kill gossip.