I don’t know about you, but hate having to be peppy and conversational when I walk into an office and face the faces I’ll have to face all day. In one particular company I’d been consulting with for a few weeks, everyone was small talk addicted — especially the first 10 minutes of every day. I wished I could be invisibly teleported from the parking lot to my cubicle. However, I usually joined in the meaningless chatter because I didn’t come across as unfriendly, shy, or a human Ambien.

Recently I found the solution! I struck up a friendship with one particular woman who had a reputation of being extremely energetic and outgoing. I shared my dilemma with her at lunch. She said, “Leil, you know how first impressions are so lasting? Well, theyaren’t just for when you meet people. ‘You’re making a “first impression’ every day. If you want to look friendly but not sit around chewing the fat, here’s the trick: Just before coming in the office in the morning, throw your shoulders back, soften your face into a relaxed smile, and give a big lively greeting to everyone. This certifies you as being friendly, energetic and optimistic. And it only takes a minute.

“You don’t need to stay revved up and chatty all day. After that first little burst of effervescence, your coworkers see you as a confident and congenial individual and they’ll hardly notice that you’re not chewing the fat with them later. They’re all thinking about themselves anyway. “

I noticed the next morning, Felicia followed her own advice. She came in with a big hi and a smile and nobody noticed she wasn’t in the water cooler confabs later. Cool.