Holdover ideas from the Industrial Revolution still haunt many workplaces where talk, especially when interspersed with laughter, is perceived as a sure sign of goofing off. Staff or planning meetings however, formalize talk at work. Each invitee has a chance to explain what he or she is working on to the rest of the group or report on an assigned topic. There may be feedback on how to do the defined tasks better, or on additional information that would be helpful to the group, but these discussions are really about telling, not conversing. Good conversation is work, and often forms the path of discovery toward profitable new products, markets and processes.
Good conversation is more than just talk.
Toddlers can talk. People who don't care what listeners think can talk. Good conversation is more. Good conversation is, first of all, an exchange. It's trading ideas and observations in a way that enriches all participants.