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Survive Holiday Party Small Talk with the FORD Technique
- By Mark Micheli
- November 26, 2012
- Comments
Image via Hadi Djunaedi/Shutterstock.com
Holiday parties are a great opportunity to relax and catch up with your colleagues. At least, in theory...
For many, holiday parties are a dreaded annual exercise: an hours long endurance test in small talk and social anxiety.
Mastering small talk can go a long way toward reducing the stress and forced awkwardness that can accompany a holiday party. For those not born with the gift of gab, don’t fret. Use the FORD technique to get you through:
- Family
- Occupation
- Recreation
- Dreams
Ask a few questions about any of the above categories and a conversation is likely to ensue. Even consider committing a few questions to memory.
Head over to Reddit for a few more small talk tips. Do you know any techniques for starting a conversation with somebody you don’t know?
(Image via Hadi Djunaedi/Shutterstock.com)
Mark Micheli is the Special Projects Editor of Government Executive, editor of Excellence in Government Online and former Program Manager of the Government Business Council. Prior to his current roles, he worked on national security and emergency management issues with the US Treasury Department. He’s worked as a political research analyst, a correspondent for the Des Moines Register at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland and is a graduate of the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs. He studied at Drake University where he has degrees in Magazine Journalism, Political Science and History.
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