The Difficult Art of Office Chitchat
Advance the Dreaded “How Are You?” Loop
The ping-pong of “How are you? Good, how are you?” can feel like a waste of time and energy, but be the change you wish to see in the world and break the cycle (разорвать порочный круг). Go to your inner secret repository (секретное хранилище) of topics (see: planning ahead) and move the short conversation forward by replying why you’re “good.”
As in, “I’m good. I just started a book/podcast/TV show and I’m really enjoying it. Have you heard of it?” Or mention something office-related, where there’s a shared common experience: “I’m good. They restocked (пополнить запасы) the cold brew (капельный кофе) in the kitchen and it’s so strong. Have you tried it?”
