Every business trip there are times -- like before a meeting or after a meeting at dinner or the bar -- when conversation turns to sports.
My interest in pro sports can fit on the period at the end of this sentence.
(Unless were' talking about shirtless baseballers).
Such was the case on my biz trip the last two days. How much easier life would be if I could pull off post ball game banter about defense and offense and so and so is a good hitter but is shit in the infield.
I was on a conference call once, years ago, waiting for it to start and there was the usual banter between those of us who were on time. "Did you catch the Tournament last night?" someone said. I thought, "yeah, and can you believe that triple toe-loop salchow combination by Brian Boitano" when someone else saved me from humiliation by talking about the NBA.
Then there's that other topic -- sex. I can talk about this one. But I have yet to be in a business setting with mostly straight guys where I could chime in with the same specificity about this or that coworker or the various body parts of the wait staff that caught my eye.
So when it comes to business, I just talk about business.
Which makes those pre and post business meetings sheer drudgery for me.
4 comments:
A mutual friend of ours told me her father's advice when she entered the professional world - even if you don't like sports, you should read the sports page for highlights to be able to take part in pre-post business conversation.
That's a good rule of thumb to have!
Okay, sports -- they're talking about the Packers in the office this morning...what's my talking point?
I don't know? Perhaps you could talk about the tight end? Go to the sports section of the Post! Hopefully your computer will not melt down!
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