> One expert advises breaking the ice each morning with a “Hi!”, as if that is a relationship builder, rather than something done by all but the most sociopathic.<p>Exactly. Starting a casual chat with strangers (or half-strangers that happen
to be colleagues) is not an easy thing for an introvert, who to have a chat
needs to have a topic to talk about, otherwise he stays silent. It's
a chicken-and-egg problem: no common topic leads to no chat, which leads to
not getting to know those strangers, which leads back to no common topic with
them.<p>Simple "hi" is not nearly enough to have a chat. It is a first step, but there
are dozens following that are still needed. It's like saying that writing
a sentence leads to a writing book. It's necessary, but it's not enough on its
own.