新概念雙語：初入職場：你懂得如何打開話匣子嗎？

You can be extroverted or introverted or somewhere in the middle, but no matter where you fall on the personality spectrum, there’ll be times when conversation doesn’t come easy. Overthinking it will generally get you nowhere, but not having a plan of action or a back pocket full of topics regardless of who you’re talking to also won’t help your communication game. If you’ve ever gone way out of your way to avoid an impromptu chat, fumbled with what to say, or defaulted to the weather (again!), the following guidelines should help.[/en

你性格可以外向、內(nèi)向或既不外向也不內(nèi)向，但不管怎樣，你都會有不知如何開口的時候。你想破腦袋，也無濟(jì)于事。然而，無論你跟誰交談，準(zhǔn)備一個行動計(jì)劃或話題包對你都是大有裨益的。如果你不想即興閑聊，又搜腸刮肚找不到話說，或只能無奈聊聊天氣(又是天氣!)，那么以下這些指導(dǎo)方針應(yīng)該會對你有所幫助。

[en]And yes, while “guidelines” is a scary word, I promise that none of them require you to be a genius small-talker, the world’s most charming person, or outgoing at all.

當(dāng)然，雖然“指導(dǎo)方針”一詞聽上去嚇人，但我保證，它們是不會要求你舌燦金蓮、風(fēng)華絕代或是開朗樂觀的。

So read on for advice on how to talk your way through any situation you’re likely to encounter along your career path, whether that’s in your own office, at a networking event, or at your company’s happy hour. Spoiler: At their core, they all have you being the initiator because, at the end of the day, simply being comfortable starting a conversation is half the battle.

因此，請繼續(xù)閱讀這些建議，它們能讓你輕松應(yīng)對職場中可能會出現(xiàn)的所有談話場景，如在辦公室、社交場合，或者公司慶祝會上等等。提示：這些建議都是以你作為談話的發(fā)起人，因?yàn)樵谝惶旖Y(jié)束時，能輕松舒適地開始交談，便是成功的一半。

1. With the founder or CEO

1.和公司創(chuàng)始人或首席執(zhí)行官交談

You: “Hi! How’s your week going?”

你：“嗨!這周過得好嗎?”

CEO: “Not bad. Busy! How about yours?”

首席執(zhí)行官：“還不錯，就是很忙!你呢?”

You: “It’s going well. I’m excited to be working on [whatever project feels most significant to you].”

你：“很好。能參與【對最你重要的一個項(xiàng)目】，我感到很興奮。”

In this scenario, you give the leader a chance to share information with you. The open-ended question can lead to the CEO talking excitedly (in which case, plan to eagerly listen and ask a thoughtful question when he’s done), or it can result in him or her politely asking you how your work week is going. Be prepared with an astute but straightforward answer. Mention an item you’re working on and for what department if there’s any question as to your role at the company.

在這個場景中，你得到一個讓領(lǐng)導(dǎo)與你分享信息的機(jī)會。開放式的問題會引導(dǎo)首席執(zhí)行官與你興奮地聊起來(在這種情況下，你要熱切地聆聽。在他講完后，問一個有深度的問題)，或者他會禮貌地問起你本周的工作情況。準(zhǔn)備一個機(jī)敏又直截了當(dāng)?shù)拇鸢?。如果問題與你在公司的職位有關(guān)，那么答案中要提到一個你目前正在進(jìn)行的項(xiàng)目和你所在的部門。

With big organizations, there’s nothing wrong with giving the founder or owner a break by dropping in any relevant info that’ll help him place you, which brings me to my next point: If you think he doesn’t know your name, now’s the time to extend your hand and say, “I’m not certain we’ve formally met. I’m [Your Name]."

在大公司，給創(chuàng)始人或公司所有者提供相關(guān)信息，打斷他們一下，是沒有什么關(guān)系的，這會讓他們記住你。這也引出了下一個觀點(diǎn)：如果你覺得他們不認(rèn)識你，那么現(xiàn)在就是伸出手主動介紹自己的時候了：“我們好像還沒正式見過。我是【你的名字】”。

2. With the newbie

2.和新同事交談

You: “Hi. You started [this week, last Friday], right? My name is [Your Name] and I’m a part of the [X] team. Are you starting to feel settled? Have you been to [popular coffee shop in area] yet?”

你：“嗨!你從【本周，上周五】開始工作的，對嗎?我叫【你的名字】，是【團(tuán)隊(duì)名】團(tuán)隊(duì)的。你熟悉這里了嗎?你去過【本地受歡迎的咖啡店】了嗎?”

Newbie: “Good, thanks. There’s a lot to learn, but I’m really enjoying it. How long have you been here?”

新同事：“很好，謝謝你。我還有很多要學(xué)的，但我真的很喜歡這份工作。你在這里工作多久了?”

You: “I started in [whenever you started], and I can’t believe [insert something memorable here about your time at the company].”

你：“我從【你開始工作的時間】開始在這工作，真不敢相信【插入一些你在這工作期間難忘的事情】。”

Your goal is to get the conversation rolling and put the new person at ease. Sure, you could avoid making eye contact and simply go about getting your coffee in the kitchen, uttering a barely audible, “Hi,” but you can do better than that, and it pays to be friendly to your co-workers.

你的目的是讓談話進(jìn)行下去，讓新同事不拘謹(jǐn)。當(dāng)然你可以避免眼神交流，僅僅在廚房煮咖啡時，輕聲說一句“嗨”，但你能做得更好，并且能和同事融洽相處。

Remember, it’s not easy being the new kid on the block. If you value your company and your role, you should also make a point to appreciate its growth and culture — and that starts with you not ignoring someone in hopes your colleagues will shoulder the responsibility of befriending him or her.

請記住，新同事不容易。如果你看重公司和職位，那么你也應(yīng)該重視公司的發(fā)展和文化——而這從不忽視新人開始，以此來使同事們與他友好相處。

3.With the (intimidating) colleague who’s been there forever

3.和(令人生畏的)資深同事交談

You: “Hey, I’m looking for recommendations for places to go for a networking lunch this week. I haven’t gotten to know the neighborhood well, but I thought, as someone who seems to know the ins and outs around here, you might have some suggestions.”

你：“嘿，我在看這周聚餐的地方推薦，不過我對附近不熟悉，但我想你似乎對周圍非常了解，你能給一些建議嗎?”

Colleague: “What kind of place are you looking for?”

資深同事：“你要找什么樣的地方?”

This conversation opens up so many doors and avenues for discussion. Again, it’s one of those situations where you definitely don’t have to strike up a chat, but if the person is one you’ve been generally fearful of engaging with, getting over that intimidation is reason enough to say more than, “Hi. How are you?”

這段對話為討論打開了很多門道和途徑。雖然這也是你本沒有必要聊天的情景之一，但如果你一直害怕與對方打交道，那么克服恐懼這個理由，已足以讓你不只是簡單地說句“嗨，你好嗎?”。

It’s not ill-advised to bring up a work-related topic, though that’s probably going to be easier if you’ve got some inkling of what the person does and what she’s working on. Appealing to her sense of expertise (in this example, knowledge of the area) is a smart point of entry. It’s likely that she’s a perfectly nice person, and your assumptions were incorrect — but there’s only one way to find out, and that’s bravely beginning the exchange.

提及一個與工作相關(guān)的話題，不失為一個明智的做法。當(dāng)然，如果你略知對方的職位和工作，那就更容易了。吸引對方的專業(yè)觸覺(在這個例子中，是指知識方面)是一個機(jī)智的切入點(diǎn)。也許她為人無可挑剔，也許你的猜想不對，但證明的方法只有一個，那就是大膽地跟她交談。

4. With an event organizer

4.與活動策劃人交談

You: “This space is great. Thanks so much for organizing it. Do you plan things like this often?”

你：“這個地方很棒。非常感謝你的安排。你經(jīng)常策劃這類活動嗎?”

Organizer: “You know, I do because in my office…”

策劃人：“你知道，這是我的職責(zé)所在……”

You’ve heard that most people like to talk about themselves, right? Trust in the truth of that and use it to your advantage. This is an especially handy tip if you have no idea what to say to someone you’ve just met or if you’re worried that you don’t have anything interesting to contribute and are grasping for language.

你已經(jīng)聽說過，大多數(shù)人都喜歡談?wù)撟约?，對?相信這一事實(shí)，并充分加以利用。如果你碰到一個人，不知道要說什么，或者擔(dān)心沒有什么有趣的話題，正拼命找話說，那么這個建議特別有用。

Placing the conversation lead on an event organizer is rarely going to backfire, and the bonus is that if you get the person talking about himself, you might even find that you can interject here or there, ultimately making a strong impression and adding something to the conversation.

把交談重點(diǎn)放在活動策劃人的身上，很少會適得其反。如果你讓對方聊起他自己，你甚至?xí)l(fā)現(xiàn)你能隨時接話，最終你能給對方留下深刻的印象，并且使交談變得有所不同。

5. With any VIP

5.與重要人士交談

You: “Hi. My name is [Your Name]. I know you’ve probably got to make the rounds, but I didn’t want to regret not coming over and introducing myself — and letting you know that your app is genius.”

你：“嗨!我是【你的名字】。我知道你可能很趕時間，但沒向您自我介紹，我怕會后悔，也怕后悔沒告訴您，貴公司的應(yīng)用程序真是天才般的設(shè)計(jì)”。

You might not get much more than a thank you out of the very important person, and if that’s the case, don’t take it personally. But, a compliment will often ignite a discussion, and if you truly do have something kind to say about the person’s company, program, or product, why not open with that and see where it goes.

從這位重要人士那里，除了一句“謝謝”，其他的你可能什么得不到。如果是這樣，也別放在心上。但一句恭維話往往是交流的開始，而且對他的公司、程序或產(chǎn)品，如果你真有一些善意的話要對他說，那為什么不開門見山地說出來，看看最終的效果呢?

6. With your former boss

6.和前任老板交談

You: “It’s so good to see you! How is everything over at [Company Name]? I read that they’re expanding [department or product]. You must be excited to be spearheading that.

”你：“很高興見到你!【公司名稱】一切都好吧?聽說你們正在擴(kuò)大【部門或產(chǎn)品】。成為項(xiàng)目領(lǐng)頭人，你一定很興奮吧。”

Ex-boss: “As a matter of fact, I am. It’s been pretty chaotic, but it’s a fun time to be busy, and I’m happy to have something to focus so keenly on…”

前任老板：“確實(shí)是。這項(xiàng)目相當(dāng)復(fù)雜，但忙也是一種樂趣，我很高興能全身心投入到……”

No matter what terms you ended on, you don’t want to pretend like you didn’t see your former manager over there by the cheese table. By approaching her with a pleasantry and more, you demonstrate class and character. This isn’t the first occasion you’re going to run into someone you’re not dying to talk to, but it’s like they say, practice makes perfect.

不管你之前離職的理由是什么，現(xiàn)在你都不想盯著奶酪單，假裝沒看見前任老板。跟她講個笑話，或說些其他的，展現(xiàn)自己的品味和個性。這不是你第一次跟不喜歡的人說話，但正如人們所說，熟能生巧。

And even if your former manager is harboring negative feelings on your departure, she’ll probably have a hard time rebuffing your kindness.

即使前任老板對你的離職耿耿于懷，她也很難拒絕你的一片好意。

7. With the person from the department you know nothing about

7.與一無所知的部門成員交談

You: “How’s your week going? Busy with projects?”

你：“這周過得怎么樣?工作忙嗎?”

Person: “Busier than usual because we’ve got [names major initiative the team is focused on].”

對方：“比平時要忙，我們在進(jìn)行【該團(tuán)隊(duì)的主要項(xiàng)目名稱】”。

You: “Oh, interesting. I hadn’t thought how that might affect your team. What are you working on specifically?”

你：“哦，那很有趣啊。沒想到那個項(xiàng)目對你們團(tuán)隊(duì)有這么大的影響。你具體負(fù)責(zé)什么?”

By being vague in your opening, you allow for the fact that you don’t know exactly what the person does (don’t worry, he probably doesn’t know too much about your day-to-day either), but you, nonetheless, make an effort to engage him in a conversation about his work and his team and department.

交談開始時，說話模糊，這是考慮到你并不明確對方的工作(不要擔(dān)心，對方也可能不熟悉你的日常工作)，但是你要盡力就他的工作、團(tuán)隊(duì)和部門，來跟他深談。

If he’s a chatty person, maybe he’ll end up painting a clear picture of his role and the projects his team is working on and you’ll have material for every subsequent meeting. Or, if he’s more reserved, you can jump in and start talking about an initiative your department is focusing on.

如果他很健談，那么與他交談后，你就會清楚地知道他的職位以及他團(tuán)隊(duì)負(fù)責(zé)的項(xiàng)目，從而為之后的見面聊天，收集了足夠信息。如果他說話比較保留，那么你可以開始談?wù)勀銈儾块T目前正在進(jìn)行的項(xiàng)目。

8. With the boss’ significant other

8.與老板的愛人交談

You: “It’s so nice that you were able to make it tonight. It’s always fun to meet the people we hear so much about. Susan has mentioned that you both like to cook together. What’s the best thing you’ve ever made?”

你：“你今晚能參加，真是太好了。久仰大名。蘇珊曾說過，你們兩位都喜歡烹飪，你最拿手的是什么?”

The S.O.: “That’s a tough one. Maybe my chicken under a brick dish…”

老板的愛人：“這個很難說。也許是煎炒雞塊”。

This starter assumes you have some recollection of something your boss has said about her significant other. If you can’t remember a darn thing, you can default to the modern, more popular way of asking what she does: “What did we tear you away from this evening?” Or: “What cool stuff have you got going on this week (besides this gathering!)?”

開始這樣對話的前提是，你已經(jīng)從老板那知道了一些他愛人的事。如果一點(diǎn)也記不起，那就以一種現(xiàn)代更為受歡迎的方式問她：“今晚沒有讓你失望吧?”，或者問她：“這周有什么有趣的活動嗎(當(dāng)然要算上這次聚會!)?”

With your manager’s partner, you don’t want to get too cozy and assume a familiarity that doesn’t exist, but you also don’t want to view the guest as off-limits. Just as you’re refusing to let yourself be intimidated (for long) by the seeminglyaloof colleague, you’ll also want to avoid acting nervous. If you and your supervisor already have a good working relationship, making an effort with the S.O. is only going to further that.

與老板的愛人交談，你不想太過隨意，假裝很熟悉，也不想將這位客人視為“例外”。就像是努力不讓自己(長時間)被表面冷淡的同事嚇到，同時還要避免緊張的表現(xiàn)。如果工作上你與老板相處融洽，那么與他的愛人打好交道，會促進(jìn)你跟老板的關(guān)系。

9. With the intern

9.與實(shí)習(xí)生交談

You: “How was your weekend? Are you watching or reading anything really great at the moment?”

你：“周末過得怎么樣?在看什么好劇?”

Intern: “It was great. Actually, I’m totally hooked on both [Netflix series] and [NBC series]. Do you watch either of them?”

實(shí)習(xí)生：“還不錯。我確實(shí)完全沉迷于【Netflix連續(xù)劇】和【NBC連續(xù)劇】。你有看過嗎?”

You: “I’ve heard great things about [Netflix series], but I haven’t had a chance to start it yet. I’m with you on [NBC series]. I love the actor who plays the dad.

你：“我聽說【Netflix連續(xù)劇】很好看，但一直沒有機(jī)會開始。我也在看【NBC連續(xù)劇】。我喜歡爸爸的扮演者。”

Once you start a dialogue about entertainment — TV, books, movies — it’s unlikely that you’ll struggle with finding more to discuss. Unless the intern lives in a cave and has no awareness of what’s going on around him, chances are, you’ll land on at least one item of shared interest, or even something you totally disagree on. You love The Americans, and he prefers House of Cards? Have at it. Nothing like a good spirited debate to carry the conversation beyond the basic, “How was your weekend?” “Good. How was yours?”

一旦就娛樂(電視、書籍和電影)聊起來，你就不愁找不到話說。除非這個實(shí)習(xí)生與世隔絕，否則你們總能找到共同話題，甚至是你根本不喜歡的東西，也可以討論。你喜歡看《美國諜夢》，他喜歡看《紙牌屋》?沒關(guān)系!一場激烈的爭論能使你們的對話不再局限在這樣一些老套的問候語中，如“周末過得怎么樣?”“很好，你呢”?

Of course, the scenarios depicted here are, in part, pure speculation. It’s nearly impossible to know how the person on the receiving end of the conversation you start is going to respond. But, that’s not what matters. If you can master the approach and the initiation, you’ll sail through the rest of it almost always. Be yourself, be sincere, and accept that starting and carrying on amiable conversations takes a certain amount of effort for most people.

當(dāng)然，上面描述的這些場景在某種程度上純屬虛構(gòu)，因?yàn)閹缀蹼y以知道交談對方會做出怎樣的回答。但這并不要緊。如果你能掌握切入點(diǎn)，開始交談，那么接下來就會無往不利。做你自己，態(tài)度真誠，并且接受下面這一事實(shí)，即開始一次親切的交談，并將其進(jìn)行下去，對絕大多數(shù)人來說，都不是一件輕而易舉的事。