John Michel
Associate Professor · Loyola University of Maryland
Episode
EP 223 · 14 August 2025
Why small talk is exhausting (according to science), with Associate Professor John Michel
0:000:00
Their segments in this episode (10)
- authentic connection vs artificial fun
- creating environments of inclusion
- emotional exhaustion the precursor to burnout
- ground rules for humor at work
- how john s research on coworker socializing began
- introverts vs extroverts the myth debunked
- making work fun without forcing it
- the surprise finding that started it all
- what small talk really is and isn t
- when small talk turns uncomfortable