Small talk is an extremely high-risk low reward activity depending on your status with the company, especially if your manager has told you your status is utter

Small talk is an extremely high-risk low reward activity depending on your status with the company, especially if your manager has told you your status is utterly fixed. How in the hell are you supposed to build a rapport with people who would as soon skin you alive as look at you, and only tolerate you for what you can do that no one else can?