It's easy to say, "I'm not good at small talk" and simply try to ignore it, Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit argues that small talk isn't an innate skill, but rather a learned behavior.

I had been waiting all week to talk to a coworker about something urgent, so when we finally planned to meet at the coffee shop, I was relieved. I walked in, eager to share, but before I could tell ...