• Workplace conversation used to take place near the water cooler, usually involving current events, sitcoms, or the weather.
• The pandemic shifted most of the communication in the hands of technology with Zoom, Slack and email being our only channels to converse with coworkers.
• The conversation has deteriorated by being an online exclusive deal. It feels transactional and highly superficial.
• Small talk stays small, and there are fewer trust-based, genuine human relationships at the workplace.

Certain discussions without any particular agenda are important to build a relationship with a colleague. It gives employees a chance to get to know each other, sharing certain aspects of their experience and personal lives that they would not otherwise.

One can invite a colleague to lunch...