If you're on the other end of the conversation when someone initiates small talk, recognize its value to them, if not to you personally. Conversation isn't simply for passing on useful information or getting a job done.

More and more in our high-tech, impersonal workplace, people want emotional involvement and connection with others. Talking-about anything-helps establish, maintain, and adjust relationships to keep them in good order.

Small talk means having a little loose change in your pocket. Like nickels at a gum dispenser or quarters at a toll booth, it'll come in handy when you least expect it.

When it comes to small talk, know when to jiggle it, spend it, or save it.