When did ‘so’ become the new ‘ummm’? Listen to any TV or cable talk show when the host asks the guest a question. Most of the guests start the answer with ‘So … ‘. Perhaps a little less annoying than ‘umm’, but this vocalized pause gets old fast if each answer begins that way. While ‘so’ is an actual word, it doesn’t add any meaning or context to the message. It just sits there … like a different version of ‘Um … ‘
Verbal Communication
Why I Hate ‘Small Talk’
I recently facilitated a workshop on Networking Best Practices. A participant asked about using small talk. After getting input from the rest of the group, I offered my view – just say ‘NO’ to small talk. It doesn’t help you that much. Go for ‘Big Talk’ instead. The rest of my rant …