Talk to your coworkers about movies; it can do a lot more than you might think!
After all, small talk can be hard. Especially now when we have so little time to practice our small talk skills. If you’re working at home, you’re probably in front of a computer screen for most of the day and then transition to a TV screen in the evenings.
Not only does this get boring, but it can also leave you feeling disconnected. At REEL Experiences, we believe that we’re in the midst of a disconnection pandemic and we want to help solve it.
We’ve discovered that one of the most helpful ways you can engage in small talk with your coworkers is to ask about their favorite movies. We know first-hand that movies tell a deeper story about the people who love them. Here’s what we know you’ll find when you start talking to your coworkers about movies.
Universally relatable
Everyone watches movies. Sure, some of us are bigger film lovers than others but you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t seen a variety of movies. That’s what makes them such a good starting point for conversation. Everyone has something to contribute.
The universality of movies also means that you can connect with a wider diversity of coworkers. A new colleague from Japan might not share your love for Italian food but they’ll probably have a few favorite movies they’d love to discuss.
Movies are formative for a lot of people and can even be life-changing. There’s power in talking about something like that with the people around you.
Builds a deeper understanding of their values
Once you find out that a coworker’s favorite movie is La Dolce Vita or There Will be Blood, you might find it difficult to think of them without that movie coming to your mind. That’s especially true if you go a little deeper to find out what they love about that movie and what themes resonate with them.
Next time you’re working with your coworker on a project, you’ll be able to bring that movie back to your mind. Let’s say you’re having a disconnect on how you want a project to go, a reference to how a team worked together in your coworker’s favorite movie might just bridge that communication gap.
Keep in mind too, that it works both ways. Revealing your favorite movies to your coworkers gives them an idea of who you are. They’ll be able to think back on your favorite movies and know how to best communicate with you.
Allows for further connection on related topics
Once you’ve discovered someone’s favorite movies, it gives you something to talk about in the future. Maybe there’s a sequel or a spin-off, maybe you watch something with similar themes or something happened that made you think of a specific movie. Those are all new opportunities to engage with your coworkers.
It can also give you an easy way to talk about things that are difficult. If a coworker’s project was denied or there’s a struggle between two team members, you can use movies to discuss things in a way that everyone will understand and that feels less intense.
Reveals working styles and work love languages
When you talk about movies with a guide like REEL Experiences, you can actually find out more about your coworkers’ working styles and how they express and receive love.
Knowing these elements means that the next time you want to celebrate your coworker’s achievements, you’ll know if they want a public announcement, a private chat, or something else entirely.
For teams that have to collaborate, knowing how a team member works can also make sense of any differences in working styles. Movies can reveal if someone sees themselves as a rebel and wants to come to the table with new ideas all the time. It can also show if someone thinks of themselves as a quiet leader so you can recognize that leadership style.
In fact, you might even develop your teams based on what you learn from a REEL Experience. Once you understand these components, your teams could be customized to be the most effective.
Transforms a team from ‘me’ to ‘we’
The most important part of talking about movies with your coworker is that it helps encourage the change from a ‘me’ to a ‘we.’ If your coworkers seem to always focus on themselves as individuals, you might be struggling to get good teamwork done.
Once you talk about movies with your coworkers, you start bonding. It becomes more personal to work together and the room for disconnection fades away.
If this sounds like something you want for your team, we certainly understand. There has been a lot of disconnection lately and we want to help people connect again. Find out more about our various REEL Experiences to get started.
