{"id":319327,"date":"2026-02-27T02:17:18","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T02:17:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/319327\/"},"modified":"2026-02-27T02:17:18","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T02:17:18","slug":"small-talk-is-a-powerful-workplace-asset-but-can-exclude-new-and-diverse-staff-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/319327\/","title":{"rendered":"Small talk is a powerful workplace asset, but can exclude new and diverse staff \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

The craic, the banter, the sc\u00e9al. Ireland<\/a> is known for its c\u00e9ad m\u00edle f\u00e1ilte, a hundred thousand welcomes, and hospitality is ingrained in our folklore, tradition and culture.<\/p>\n

Tourists marvel at our conversational prowess when they hear us in the pub, on the road and when they\u2019re engaged in the chats themselves. Some of us still carry on ancient traditions of welcome \u2013 like the light in the window and living by Yeats\u2019s \u201cno strangers here, only friends\u201d mantra \u2013 that mark us out as a friendly people.<\/p>\n

In politics<\/a>, our legendary gift of the gab has helped us become honest brokers in negotiations and persuasive behind the scenes too. We know the true power of small talk behind all the big talk.<\/p>\n

Until recently, though, chats in the workplace<\/a> were among people like us \u2013 largely white Irish, Christian, sports or weather-obsessed and from families with a mammy, a daddy and some kids. <\/p>\n

Workplaces today are increasingly different. They\u2019re multicultural, with people from different countries, cultures, religions and sexual orientations. When it comes to the top table, women are relatively new and so are foreigners, people of colour and those with families of different forms.<\/p>\n

Widening the work circle by including people from various backgrounds has been shown to lead to higher-performing teams and better business results. Yet, sometimes, it\u2019s small talk that gets in the way of bringing new people with you.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve ever moved school or gone abroad, you know how difficult it can be being the newbie. Everyone wants to know your story. You\u2019ll probably be asked the same questions 20 or 30 times that first week. Where are you from? Where did you work before this? Why did you come here? Who is minding the kids? <\/p>\n

Over time, the questions become less frequent as people get to know more about you. At the start, though, it can feel very intrusive and tiring.<\/p>\n

Outside of work, people who look, sound or behave differently will continue to be asked similar questions every single day, maybe multiple times a day when out in public. Unwarranted assumptions will be made about them by people who don\u2019t know them, even in this era of global mobility.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Gen Z culture clashes and a push back to the office: work trends to expect in 2026Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Ireland\u2019s long history of emigration means we\u2019re not far from stories of alienation either. Irish people working in London in the 1970s and early 1980s often reported that once they opened their mouths, they were \u201cPaddies\u201d and assumed to be terrorists and liars. <\/p>\n

Irish emigrants seeking employment in the United States from Famine times have been depicted as ignorant, violent, ape-like, drunken and possibly agents of a suspicious foreign religion. Even today, some young Irish people who move abroad experience barriers and unwelcome comments based on stereotypes.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s not much a workplace can do about the national culture in which it operates but it does have some control over how people are treated when they\u2019re at work. <\/p>\n

Seemingly innocuous small talk can go awry when leaders and team members forget to put themselves in the newcomer\u2019s shoes. <\/p>\n

For example, one Irish woman working for a multinational company joined an US-based team and was required to join weekly meetings online. For months she listened passively as her colleagues discussed their kids\u2019 softball matches for the first 10 to 15 minutes. When her new boss wondered why she was so quiet \u2013 and not integrating well into the team \u2013 she patiently explained that she was a single, child-free woman who did not play softball. <\/p>\n

Clearly very little effort had been made by her manager or team members to get to know her or make her feel welcome. This was an own goal.<\/p>\n

Extensive research both here and abroad finds that when people feel they\u2019re a part of a team, they work harder, are more satisfied at work and are less likely to leave the job. Inclusive, diverse teams also show improved decision making and higher levels of innovation.<\/p>\n

The power of small talk <\/p>\n

Most colleagues have the best of intentions with small talk but they might not realise how certain questions can make someone feel, says Dr Tatiana Andreeva, associate professor in management and organisational behaviour at Maynooth University. <\/p>\n

She teaches leadership and researches employees\u2019 relationships at work and how this impacts knowledge-sharing and collaboration.<\/p>\n

Andreeva advises that, before you speak, think about what you\u2019re trying to achieve with the conversation: are you filling time or trying to make a connection?<\/p>\n

\"DrDr Tatiana Andreeva, associate professor in management and organisational behaviour at Maynooth University <\/p>\n

We often use time-filling questions when we\u2019re waiting for something to start \u2013 a meeting, an appointment, an event \u2013 and that\u2019s fine. But social interactions with strangers work best if you focus on what you share and ask non-intrusive questions. <\/p>\n

\u201cTalking about the weather is a safe bet as it\u2019s something we all have in common. Asking open-ended questions at work that don\u2019t assume anything about the person are also helpful. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you like to do at the weekend? Or \u201cWhat are you interested in?\u201d are questions that don\u2019t presume family status, sport preferences, where they live or where they\u2019re from. This gives them room to share whatever they feel comfortable sharing.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Is conflict in the workplace good for innovation and results?Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Our innate sense of curiosity drives us to ask about difference and to explore what\u2019s new or interesting about someone. But questions about difference require a level of trust. When certain questions \u2013 where are you from? how many kids do you have? when are you going home? \u2013 are asked by strangers they can lead to very uncomfortable conversations. <\/p>\n

At work, a focus on difference does not inspire anyone to contribute more than their job description demands. It may make them feel apart, different, a novelty or maybe even an awkward annoyance to their native-born colleagues.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe point is not that these questions can never be asked, but that we pause to reflect on whether, in this particular moment and relationship, it is likely to help us connect with our colleagues or, on the contrary, produce discomfort and even alienation,\u201d says Andreeva.<\/p>\n

If you want to get to know a colleague or direct report better, you need to establish psychological safety first. \u201cA focus on what\u2019s similar between us rather than what is different makes such a big difference in terms of helping them feel they belong. At the beginning, it\u2019s best to avoid questions about relationship status, culture and religion.\u201d<\/p>\n

In corporate settings, it\u2019s better that people talk about the shared experiences they have at work. This offers a safe space as a conversation starter. From this, once the trust builds between you \u2013 and new colleagues begin to volunteer information \u2013 you can delve into other things.<\/p>\n

A sense of belonging, that we are the one team, is something that really drives a range of helping behaviours at work. Although there\u2019s no bonus for helping behaviours, and they\u2019re hard to monitor, these are what make things happen faster and more efficiently in an organisation, says Andreeva.<\/p>\n

Leaders and teams that use smart, inclusive small talk set the tone for the entire organisation. Their behaviours influence how teams collaborate, how conflicts are resolved and how people show up for one another. In a business landscape where innovation depends on psychological safety and collaboration, our c\u00e9ad m\u00edle f\u00e1ilte is a strategic asset.<\/p>\n

Margaret E Ward is chief executive of Clear Eye, a leadership consultancy. margaret@cleareye.ie<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The craic, the banter, the sc\u00e9al. Ireland is known for its c\u00e9ad m\u00edle f\u00e1ilte, a hundred thousand welcomes,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":319328,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[72,61,60,76685,1962],"class_list":{"0":"post-319327","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-ie","10":"tag-ireland","11":"tag-maynooth-university","12":"tag-work"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319327","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=319327"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319327\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/319328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=319327"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=319327"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=319327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}