“Good Morning, how are you?” has always worked well for me as an initial ice breaker.
I’ve been in situations where it is me and the Governor and, once you realize that they are just humans in positions of extra ordinary responsibility, and not gods, it isn’t much of a big deal.
"The joke was that if he ended up in the next urinal, you would look over and say “that’s one of the 50 most beautiful penises I’ve ever seen” I did manage to stand at the urinal next to the Governor once, and had the good manners not to comment on his genitalia. I was also in the sauna with the Attorney General and, again, managed not to bring his genitals into the conversation.
Thank you for the ideas (and ideas about topics to avoid). I’m good with the opening line-- I can manage a “Good morning/evening, it’s nice to see you/how are you?” with some aplomb, it’s just that after that it’s gone south. He says, “Hello, thank you/fine,” and then the awkward silence ensues.
I really like the idea of talking about the surrounding industry rather than the business itself. I’ll have to study up on some recent developments and have them in store.
If it’s a work context rather than a social event, maybe I can bring up an idea I’d like him to support to expand out intranet (which I effectively run). Hmmmm.
My suggestion: “So, any big plans for the holidays?”
My story:
I was walking into our office (Fortune 500 company) one morning carrying a sack of goodies for the christmas party, a twelve-pack of diet coke, my purse and a backpack. There were a couple of old guys in suits standing in the lobby handing stuff out to people (flyers and pins for the United Way fooforaw); one of them looked at my load of stuff and said, “I’m afraid I’m going to have to give you something more to carry.”
Good thing I didn’t blow him off. He was the president. Never saw him before. At least he had the smarts to just drop the stuff in the bag rather than try to hand it to me…
Once we were in a sales manager’s office on Christmas eve, drinking the gifts that everyone got for each other. It was a large group – maybe 20 people. We’re drinkin’ and laughin’, drinkin’ and laughin’, and suddenly the President of the company walks in. An uncomfortable silence fills the room. Everyone’s standing there with a drink in their hand just saying nothing. For quite a while. Very uncomfortable.
Finally, I looked straight at the prez and said, “Nice tie, Mike.”
THe sales managers were spewing their drinks across the room. Panic ensued. But Mike, the Prez, just said thank you and asked someone for a glass.
Our company’s CEO has an interesting accent. I heard that he was from New Zealand, but his Kiwi accent sounds rather muted; a least, he sounds more like JFK than Crocodile Dundee.
This intrigued me. The girl I dated in college was the product of two Kiwis, and they bothed talked like Paul Hogan hamming it up for the camera.
So, when I found myself in the elevator alone with our CEO, I asked him if it was indeed true that he was from New Zealand, and it turns out he is. Still no explanation on the accent, though.
I’m in a small company (50, 60 people or so) and I’m the only person in my department, so we’re on a first name basis. Mostly we just chat about random things of interest. He’s a pretty interesting guy, so it’s not tought to find things to talk about.
Oops. The Attorney General of VA. I believe I would have poked my eyes out had it been Reno, and mashed his head in with the stones from the heating unit had it been Ashcrost.