You’ve got more leeway than you might think.

That was my takeaway after observing a little boy riding his bike yesterday morning. He was happily swerving along the paved path, exploring one side and then the other. After successfully dodging his maneuvers I realized I am the person who would try to ride in a straight line, but there’s a lot more leeway and more to explore than a straight line.

It’s true in our conversations too. Sometimes we get so dialed in and focused on saying the exact right thing we forget there’s a lot more leeway than we might think. We don’t have to be perfect in our conversation skills, just willing to explore.

Perhaps these sports topics can help you do just that.

Are you back in the swing of things? Are you trying to buckle down and get things done?

I totally get it and it’s why I want to remind you an exit strategy is just as important as a plan for how you’re going to initiate conversations.

For me an exit strategy includes a “task” that requires me to physically relocate. As in, “I’m going to eat my lunch and prep for my afternoon meetings at my desk.” Or “I’m going to get some fresh air and walk around the block before returning emails.”

It might not seem like much but it’s easier to extract yourself from a situation or to end a conversation if you’re clear on what comes next for you. Just something to consider after you use these sports conversation starters this week.

The video gives you a pretty good indication, but Seattle Seahawks edge rusher/linebacker Derick Hall has a big personality and we had a lot of fun on this episode of I Cook, You Measure. 

Jambalaya with shrimp and sausage was on the menu and as Derick pointed out, it's helpful to be a little heavy handed with the seasoning so it doesn't just taste like shrimp and rice. 

Here are a few fun facts about the episode

1. Derick Hall is a linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks and was a second-round pick of the Hawks in 2023
2. This episode was taped about 30 minutes after the episode with his teammate Leo Williams. It also happened to be the night of the Mike Tyson fight so everyone was hustling to wrap up and watch the broadcast.
3. It’s hard to believe looking at him on the show but he was born premature, had to be revived at birth, spent a week on life support and five months in the NICU. His experiences and his mom’s example around helping others led Derick...

I promise the people you’re talking to are far more interesting when you set them up to succeed in a conversation. You can do that by offering specific conversation topics as starting points instead of hoping “How are you?” leads to something more than scripted conversational norms.

These sports topics can help with that.

Leonard Williams is having a monster year for the Seahawks, despite a Pro Bowl snub. He's just as good in the kitchen as he is on the field. Learn more about the big man and cook alongside us in the full-length episode of I Cook, You Measure with Leonard Williams presented by Safeway. 

Fun Facts About the Episode 

1. Leonard Williams is a defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks. Although you're more likely to hear him called Leo or Big Cat. (The origin of his nickname is discussed in the episode.)
2. A month after we taped this show Leo earned Defensive Player of the Week honors for a monstrous game in New York that included a 92-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Jets. That is a long way for the big man to run! 
3. Leo actually approached me last season about a month after being traded to the Seahawks and asked when he could be a guest on the show. 
4. His fiancee Hailey Lott sat in on the taping. She is a certified wellness coach and as Leo revealed in...

A New Year typically brings new goals and resolutions... which loosely translates to change. It doesn't matter if you're focused on changing habits, hobbies or outcomes there's always going to be a moment of friction or uncertainty because those New Years resolutions are creating change. 

Here's my reminder to you - change can happen incrementally and there are ways to practice changing. It's everything from redecorating a room to choosing a new workout to trying a new recipe or even taking a different approach in small talk. 

Maybe your change agent is using sports, or using a different sport, in conversation this week. Perhaps these can help:

The holiday week means different things to different people and there's often a wide range of emotions that go along with it. 

More than encouraging sports talk or small talk this week, I want to encourage you to have a kind word for friends, family and even strangers because you just never know what someone is going through. 

And if you want to talk sports, these topics could help. Merry Christmas!

If you're feeling pressure to finish the year on a high note, you're not the only one. Every football team feels the same way. It's definitely crunch time around the NFL, and the College Football Playoffs start this week. 

Both are worth a small talk debate about which teams are in the best position to finish strong, but it's also worth considering your best bet for finishing strong.

Football teams will tell you it's not about working harder at this point in the season because it's just not possible given the injuries, fatigue and stress. They are more likely to look for small ways to make a big impact. You could be doing the same thing and finding ways to talk sporty this week. 

Networking is something most of us think takes hours and minutes. As in, you attend a networking event that takes a couple hours in the evening, or you schedule an hour lunch or a 30-minute coffee meeting. 

It's true that networking takes place in those moments, but it's equally true that networking can take place in seconds. I know, because it's how I build relationships and network with athletes inside professional locker rooms. 

Here's what we miss most often about networking:

1. It's not the time spent, it's the connection made. 
2. It's more important to show up consistently over time than wait or hope for a big conversation or opportunity.

As I explained during the "What Do you Know to Be True?" podcast, I measure conversations in seconds, not minutes and I make the most of the few seconds I get talking to athletes during the week. 

Here are 5 Small Ways to Build Relationships 

1. Make a plan for what you want to get out of an interaction. Maybe it's an...

In theory there shouldn’t be much debate over which teams belong in the final College Football Playoff rankings. Expanding from four teams to 12 teams was supposed to eliminate some of the debate and yet I’ve been debating the rankings with my football colleagues for the last two days.

And you know what? That’s the perfect scenario to practice friendly debates and disagreeing with people. It’s just sports. The conversation might get heated. There could be strong opinions, but at the end of the day it’s just sports. And that sports conversation might help you brush up on the conversation skills you need ahead of family gatherings during Christmas.

If you’re not looking for a debate, here are a few other topics you can use in conversation this week.