I treat hallway and elevator chats as micro conversations and keep them under 20 seconds. My formula is observation plus tiny question plus soft exit so it never drifts. Things like "Hey, I'm Alex in 3B, still figuring out the laundry room. Is there a best time to go?" Or "Elevator's in a mood today. Do you know if the back stairwell is faster during rush?" Or "I saw the new package lockers downstairs. Have they been working for you?"
Then I end with a gentle closer like "Alright, I won't keep you, have a good one" or "That's my floor, see you around." Using names helps, so I repeat it once and then build small callbacks over time like "Hey Maya, did the package room ever find your box?" and after a few quick chats you can escalate to "Got any favorite coffee nearby?" I keep topics low stakes and building based, like food spots, weather, maintenance stuff, or pets, and I skip rent, politics, and anything health related. If someone is chatty I mirror the energy for a minute, if they are headphone nod people I give a smile and a quick "morning" and let it be. Body language does half the work, face open, one earbud out, slight turn when you are closing the chat, and an exit like "I should let you go, have a good night" keeps it friendly without being intrusive.
