Small Talk

Small talk as a doorway to explosive conversations

On a bright summer’s day, I was sitting in a busy restaurant in the tourist town of Lucerne. I was doing what I often do. Eating, of course. And something else. I was observing the guests and the staff. One waiter in particular caught my eye. When paying the bill, I hesitated briefly and turned to him: “Can I ask you a question? You know, I’m writing a book about people like you.” He was naturally surprised and wanted to know: “What people are they?”. “They are people,” I told him, “who are different from most of their professional colleagues. They are people who visibly excel at their tasks.” He naturally felt very honored and thanked me for this compliment. He gladly allowed me to ask my question. “How is it that you can perform your job so outstandingly?” He didn’t have to think long. His explanations gushed out as if from a fountain. And with each explanation, his facial expression became even brighter. There were many simple steps that I was presented with. He put them all into practice. And the results are visible to customers, employees and superiors. This man will never have a problem finding a new job. But he already has another dream. “One day I would like to run my own restaurant without foreign funding,” he told me as we said goodbye. He will succeed. I am convinced of that. This small talk inspired me to turn the waiter’s thoughts into a recipe book for young people and adults with career ambitions. And it is already being used by many mentors as far away as Asia to significantly improve their protégés’ chances on the job market. A little small talk can make a big difference.