Did you know the average NFL game in 2019 was watched by an average of 16.5 million people?

Maybe that stat intrigues me because I’m an NFL sideline reporter or maybe it’s because that’s a significant number of people invested in football games. 

Those are the same people you see at work, bump into getting coffee and meet at networking events. 

And that’s just one of the reasons you should be using sports small talk to your advantage. Sports fans are primed to talk about their favorite teams, the outcome of games and prolific performances. Give them the platform. Develop rapport and once you have their attention, transition to business.

Use these conversation starters this week:

When I look into the future for 2020 I see sports. Lots of sports.

Although, I suppose that’s true for every year and every decade. Which is why every year I update this handy dandy chart of major sporting events and general sports timelines to track throughout the year.

It’s a habit I developed early in my TV career as a sports producer. I was responsible for generating nightly content and staying on top of upcoming events and having a calendar of events helps with the planning process. So, about this time every year I would literally get out my paper calendar and pencil in sports schedules I needed to follow. I’ve maintained that habit as a blogger and business owner who talks about sports.

This chart helps me track topics for the weekly Conversation Starters blog… AND it helps me plan follow up emails and conversations with sports-loving clients and people in my network. 

There are lots of reasons I use sports conversations in business, here are the...

Get a jump start on those New Year’s resolutions by committing to at least one productive small talk conversation a day this week.

What makes small talk productive?

It should allow you to learn something about the person you’re talking to that could be used in a follow up conversation. 

Here’s my general rule of thumb: sports works, weather does not. I mean, how many times can you ask about rainy weather, cloudy weather, winter weather… you get my drift.

Here are a few sports topics you can use this week.

Happy Holiday week!

I’ll keep this short and sweet since you’ve got a lot on your plate. Don’t forget that sports topics make good small talk options around family and friends. Debate if that’s your style but keep it light enough to avoid huge fights.

You should be connecting with people not alienating them.

Happy holidays!

With the holidays fast approaching, and holiday festivities in full swing, there are plenty of opportunities to talk to people. Make sure you’re prepared for those conversations. Sure, you can talk about your holiday plans (again) or you can throw out one of these sports topics.

And before your week gets crazy, don’t forget to sign up for the next Learn from a Leader session with Houston Astros manager AJ Hinch Wednesday December 18 from 10-11:15am PST

Among the topics we’ll discuss:

• Managing expectations
• Leading different personalities
• Leadership through failure
• Work-life balance

“How do you get a coworker to trust you, especially if you’re younger and don’t have as much experience?”

That question came from a high schooler attending a leadership panel I facilitated last week. It was a great question and great awareness for an emerging leader. And I’m not sure I provided the answer she wanted. I told her there’s no one thing you can say to anyone in a single conversation to get them to trust you. It’s true for the athletes I cover and the colleagues I work with.

It takes showing up consistently and multiple interactions to develop trust. Those interactions don’t have to be lengthy. It can be a short exchange in passing, which is why small talk is so important and why should be using these sports #ConvoStarters this week.

Leaders never stop learning.

And the best leaders learn from other leaders.

You have the opportunity to do that every single month. Invest in the Learn from a Leader series and you’ll get leadership insights and practical takeaways from a featured leader every month.   

• Want to know how Amy Nelson, CEO of The Riveter, raised more than $20 million in venture capital? She walked us through how she gained the confidence and comfort-level to ask for money.
• Curious about best-practices from the Seahawks meeting rooms? Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright pulled back the curtain.
• Need new ideas on how to brainstorm with a team? Seattle Chocolate CEO Jean Thompson shared the way she does it with her team.
• Struggling with a risk/reward scenario and looking for advice? Former Seahawk and current business owner, Lofa Tatupu provided two questions to evaluate the outcome.

 That’s just a handful of the leaders who have taken part in the series. You can access all of the...

It’s officially the Christmas season and I’m finally on board with Christmas music, Christmas trees, Christmas shopping and my Christmas pajamas. It’s only a matter of time before I watch Christmas Vacation (again and again.)

Until I brush up on those one-liners I’ll rely on sports as my go-to small talk conversation starters.

And you should too.

Sports is always in season and a way to connect with millions of sports fans.

Delegate. You don’t have to prepare every meal from scratch, or wrap every single present or complete the holiday errands all by yourself. The best leaders know how to delegate. Practice with your family and friends. 
 
Listen. If you’re usually driving conversations and meetings at work, take a backseat in some of the family conversations. Give yourself space to just listen without feeling...