The fact that sports has its own daily section in every major newspaper -- unlike travel, fashion, automobiles, and other popular subjects -- tells you something about its significance in our society. This popularity and prominence make sports an ideal icebreaker in many business settings, especially when peers are unaware of any other common ground.
Most business professionals follow some aspect of sports closely, and they're passionate about it. But if you're not one of those people, you're likely to be perceived as out of the loop if you don't know who won the World Series or the Super Bowl.
With a little effort, you can change this situation and get back in the game.
Know the Score
Becoming interested in sports can be exciting and invigorating. Plus, learning about sports allows you the opportunity to understand a variety of games, businesses, and passions. It connects you to people's interests while also helping you to develop new hobbies and interests of your own.
Jump-start your own game plan by developing a baseline level of sports knowledge so that you can talk the talk and get started. If a new colleague says he's from Massachusetts, you can hit it off with him by asking if he's a Red Sox fan. Similarly, if your local team is in the NBA play-offs, there's no excuse not to be able to share in this excitement.
Master the Basics
To ace the essentials of asking about a colleague's interest in sports without getting bogged down in details, keep up with both local teams and national events:
* Get to know your home turf. Make a habit of reading headlines in the sports pages every day or tuning in to the sports segment of your local television or radio news to learn how your local teams are performing. Be able to name the football, basketball, and hockey teams in your area in case you're asked about them. In addition to knowing the star players, as a businessperson you'll want to pay particular attention to leadership challenges or changes in team ownership and coaching staffs.
* Pay attention to the big leagues. There is a handful of world and national sporting events that capture the headlines and the interest of our country. Among the most important to follow: the Super Bowl, the World Series, the NBA finals, the U.S. Open, Wimbledon, the Masters, the Stanley Cup, and the Kentucky Derby. Focus on top performers and any ensuing controversial calls.
While familiarity with these events requires dedicated effort, the payoff can be enormous in terms of forging meaningful business relationships.
Enjoy the Spoils of Victory
Knowledge of sports gives you plenty of ways to grease the conversational wheels, and you'll earn the respect of new colleagues, especially the men, when you ask about their favorite teams. You'll also feel better connected to individuals who are complete sports fanatics.
And the sporting world just might gain a brand-new fan when you discover that it can actually be fun and enjoyable.
Tory Johnson is the CEO of Women For Hire and the
workplace contributor on ABC's "Good Morning America." Connect with
her at womenforhire.com.
The opinions expressed in this column are solely the
author's.
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