How are you suppose to interact with people at your job if no one is open about anything?

Everyone seems so stuck on being professional that to them, being professional means don't be open about anything, only make quick meaningless dry jokes to pass the time %26amp; feel comfortable around others.



I want to talk more at work, but because of this I'm forced to not say much. %26amp; if I don't say anything, that could be considered me being anti-social. But how can you talk to people when at work, people basically dumb down conversations to just being about the weather? Is this how the work enviornment is suppose to be?



Your thoughts?



By the way: %26amp; the managers who say they encourage you talking more openly to them, always ends with them being very closed and secretive, so clearly they don't really want conversation.



Even at lunch time, people clearly force themselves to speak when the table gets quiet. %26amp; ofcourse the conversation is about another dry joke, nothing interesting.



Is this the way the work environment is suppose to be like? Because it's mindnumbing/boring.How are you suppose to interact with people at your job if no one is open about anything?
I would suggest just start asking people questions about themselves. Generally people enjoy talking about themselves. You want people to be more ';open';, but you need to respect their boundaries. At my job, we talk all the time and share our lives. But it is a very professional atmosphere. There can be a good balance struck.



Best plan of attack is to be a great communicator by listening.How are you suppose to interact with people at your job if no one is open about anything?
Hi...thats exactly how i feel about my job too...nobody cares to talk to you or ask anything...all day they talk about weather and football crap....very frustrating....the silence in the job atm. kills me....let me know if u find a solution....thanks:-)

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I worked at a place like that. The company was going broke and everybody was scared for their jobs, scared to loosen up for fear of ';looking bad.'; Good thing you are on to the mgrs who claim falsely to want ';openness.'; All you can do is hurt yourself by opening up. It probably won't change - that's the corporate culture of that outfit. They aren't all like that - maybe you can look around and find a human place to work.
some people are just obsessed with there work lives...they have no other life. Dont let them bring you down. just be happy with yourself...
sorry you are stuck with mind-numbing, INANE conversation at work. ha ha ha. one of the main reasons I am glad I don't have a full-time position... I don't wake up at the crack of dawn every morning to drag myself someplace and engage in THAT all day.