Whether you love it or hate it, small talk is an essential part of life – especially in an office environment.

Not only can watercooler chat or grabbing lunch with a colleague help you to gain a sense of belonging at work, but small talk is also an essential ‘soft skill’ that helps you to build interpersonal connections, which in turn will help you to better communicate with your colleagues and make your voice heard.

After a year and a half of working from home, however, many of us are feeling a little out of practice when it comes to office socialisation. Just as you might have realised when you first met friends for a drink after lockdown, communicating IRL is very different to communicating via video call – so it’s no surprise that many of us are worrying about this part of the return to the office.

How to nail office small talk if you’re worried about sounding awkward