We need to change social conversations at work so that everyone can participate. Not all of us caught the big game on ESPN last night or know how to play golf, but we do want to be included in conversations at work. Early in my career, I tried to keep up with the big sports news, but I’m just not interested and the few details that I did manage to memorize didn’t allow me to fully engage in workplace banter. Certainly, many women are avid sports fans, but not all of us are.

Workplace banter is important for success. It helps us build connections and grow our internal networks setting us up for advancement. So that we all have equal opportunities for success, we need to find new topics of discussion that are gender neutral. We have some conversations starters for you to consider, but ideally, you will have your own list based upon your interests, the culture of your organization, and the personalities of the people in your group.

Conversation Starters: The Basics

The Basics are to help you get started with gender-neutral conversations with people that you don’t know well. They are, well, basic, but they will get you started on the right path.

• Do you have any vacation plans?

• Do you like to travel?

• What are your weekend plans?

• Do you like to read?

• Where did you grow up?

• Where did you go to high school/college?

• Do you have any restaurant recommendations? What cuisine do you like?

• Do you have any movie recommendations?

• What do you like to do in your free time?

• Do you enjoy podcasts? What is your favorite podcast? (Feel free to plug the Parity Podcast!)

Conversation Starters: The Oddballs

The Oddballs are beyond the basics and can be used with people you know better. Some of these starters help you do a deeper dive to better understand a person’s background and others are for fun, lighthearted moments. Pick the questions that best match your personality and the situation.

• If you could go back to college and study anything, what would you study?

• What was your funniest work moment last week?

• Do you have a particular pet peeve?

• What is the most interesting project on your desk right now?

• If you could pick one place in the world to be right now, where would that be? Why?

• What was your favorite music to listen to in high school?

• If you could choose a second career, what would it be?

• What do you like most about your job?

•  What is your oldest friendship? Do you keep in touch?

• Are you involved in any non-profits or trade organizations?

Join Us

You can learn more about how to intentionally include everyone in Episode 3: Action Steps to Shake It Up For Greater Gender Diversity and Inclusion. The Parity Podcast was founded by Cathy Nestrick and Deborah Pollack-Milgate. Cathy is a former law partner and General Counsel of a Fortune 500 company. Deborah is a partner at Barnes and Thornburg, practicing IP and commercial litigation. Both are committed to accelerating gender parity through the Parity Prescription. We are happy to talk to you and your organization about how we can work together to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace. You can learn more about our work at www.par-ity.com and you can reach us at CathyandDeborah@par-ity.com.