Amazing Conversation Starters for Work!

Janice Tovey
2 min readDec 22, 2021

Successfully talk to anyone!

Photo by Amy Hirschi on Unsplash
  1. Ask for information on a work related issue. This quickly builds rapport.
  2. Pay a genuine compliment. This boosts the confidence of the other person.
  3. Comment on something positive. Hopefully the person shares your views.
  4. Be the first to introduce yourself. This is a fairly straightforward way to show that you are interested in meeting someone.
  5. Offer to help. Offering to help can help to make you likable and instill trust.
  6. Ask for help. Asking for help makes the other person feel important.
  7. Talk about a shared experience. Talk to someone whom you know you share a common interest.
  8. Ask for an opinion. This demonstrates that you value the other person and this will quickly get a conversation going.
  9. Give praise. Praise someone’s work. It is a great way to initiate a conversation.
  10. Express genuine interest. Find out what a co-worker is passionate about and launch a discussion.
  11. Ask about a favorite hobby or book. Who knows, you may have something in common.
  12. Mention an observation. Talk about artwork in the building or room temperatures. It makes for easy conversation.
  13. Make a comment about the weather. They say if all else fails, talk about the weather. It can be a great stepping stone into another subject of interest.

Topics to avoid:

Salary or benefits.

Religion.

Politics.

Age.

Controversies.

Gossip.

Successful topics:

Sports.

Family,

Entertainment.

News.

Work.

If you actively listen, use open body language, display confidence, and get follow-up information, you will be well on your way to initiating successful conversations at work.

Janice Tovey

My passion is writing. I also love reading, teaching, animals, nature, music, and humor. I am curious about everything and enjoy writing about all things.