Small talk isn’t worthless. Here’s how to use it to accelerate your career

“I heard it’s supposed to rain this weekend.” “How about those Cubs?” “Did you hear about Ed, the escaped zebra from Tennessee?”

If you groan at the thought of small talk, you’re not alone. More than 70% of Americans said they’d prefer to just sit in silence over talking about the weather, sports, or current events, according to a survey by the online education site Preply. 

While small talk is often viewed as the unnecessary fluff that comes before something real is discussed...