Public Vs. Private In American Business

Is it appropriate to share information about spouses or families in business?

I'm sensitive about people asking me too many questions about my spouse and family in the workplace. I've been a public figure all my life and my marriage is the most important thing in the world to me. But, I'm not going to sit and talk about my marriage or my children because they deserve their privacy. As a public figure I just let that sort of go, I just wear a wedding ring. I think it's appropriate that people know that I'm married, but I do not want them to know to much about my marriage. In return I don't ask other people too much about their family in the workplace. In fact, that is one of the things about women in the workplace, women in the workplace today often wear wedding rings, just because they don't want to be asked if they are single or to probe about their personal life. It's not uncommon for women to wear gold bands in the workplace or networking event so that they can be there to represent their company. So be careful about what you ask in the workplace and don't pry. Be generic in your questions, for example, "How's your summer?" "Are you enjoying your summer?" "Are you going to take a vacation this year?" Ask general questions to people that you don't know, especially since we're in a very culturally sensitive world today and people are from different faiths and cultures. Indeed it's not part of their culture to be asked what is part of their family life compared to in other cultures where it's very appropriate to ask. So just ask generic questions so people can move and so they can be more comfortable in the workplace.

When and how is it appropriate to make small talk in business?

The fact that we do talk about business at meals today makes small talk very appropriate in such business meetings. This is very important and there are 3 rules to remember. If you are going to meet someone for breakfast, make small talk until people have their coffee, water or juice at the table. If you're having lunch with someone, make small talk until everyone has ordered off the waiter and off the menu. The next point to remember is the hardest one for people. If you're having dinner with someone at a business meal, make small talk for the first 30 minutes of the evening, to create trust and rapport before you start talking about business.