Question: “I have a co-worker who is quite chatty. Even if I am submerged in my work she will say, “I don’t mean to interrupt,” but she interrupts, and it is always something insignificant. It is so bad that every time she walks by my desk she has to stop and talk, which is several times a day. I have spoken with her many times, stating that I can’t chat every time she comes by because I am busy and need to concentrate. I have even stated that my boss might frown upon it if she thought I was frequently socializing instead of getting the work done. Every time, she says she understands and apologizes, but then the next time I see her, she does it again. I don’t have a private office, so I can’t just close a door. How do I stop “Chatty Cathy”? — Anonymous
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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
We have online training that our company has us take as part of being compliant with certain state rules. As an admin, it is very difficult to complete these training tasks without constantly being interrupted. So I created a sign that says “Sorry, I am currently taking an online training course and I am unable to assist you.” People will walk up to my desk and I don’t look at them, then they read the sign. Works like a charm!
We have one of those at our office too. I have tried everything to “give her the hint” but she doesn’t seem to get it. One time she came in at 4:50 as I was desperately trying to finish an important project for our department head, so I just very politely said, “Listen, I’m so sorry to be rude, but is there any way we can finish this conversation tomorrow morning first thing? I’m in the middle of a really important project here & I HAVE to have it finished before 5:00.” Well she got REALLY miffed & said, “Sure. Sure. We’ll talk about it TOMORROW. But THIS is important too!” Jabbing her finger at me & whatnot. (Yes, not only is she chatty but she’s a tad bit of a workplace bully.)
I discovered as some of you said, that if I hurry up & finish my water & get up to go for a refill at the water cooler–which is on the way back to her office–nine times out of ten she’ll follow me out of my office & head back to hers. I don’t like to hurt people’s feelings, so this is a nice yet effective way to get rid of her & get back to my work.
Good one Karen R.!
I LOVE it! :)
I agree with Debbie. I wouldn’t report her to HR. I have had encounters with chatty Chads as well as women in the office. Sometimes, you simply have to say it was nice chatting, but I have to finish this up. I’ve also resorted to (when I hear the person approaching) picking up my phone and calling my voice mail, or getting up to process mail, etc. I think you have to do what you have to do to avoid people who aren’t as busy.
Good suggestions. In my department we occasionally have people that stop by that just don’t seem to want to leave. We have a little trick among us – if we see or hear that going on, one of us will call the person being “pestered”. Then she has to stop the conversation with the chatterbox to pick up the phone. Almost everytime the person lerking about will walk away.
Sabrina probably has one of the BEST answers for this co-worker.
Or you can use one directly from the Dr. C. “handbook”, in that; the next time she comes by and starts to talk, REMIND her again that you are working on a project and offer to “catch up” during lunch or break.
The key is to keep saying that with your headphones on and TRUST me, she will eventually get the picture and go and bother someone else.
Also act as if you are totally NOT listening!
Sometimes people find a “nice” person in the office and they will CLING to that person forever! :(
Thank you.
Dr. StillStanding
Take something from all the advice everyone is giving – they’re all good ideas. Definitely put some sort of do not disturb sign up. Send an e-mail that you will be using a sign and you appreciate others respecting your request to not be interrupted. Don’t look up if she starts talking and point to the sign and continue working. I made a red stop sign and would stand it up in front of me and an in box next to it if someone wanted to leave something. Good luck!
Headphones! Even if you’re not listening to anything, it makes it that much harder for someone to interrupt you. Also gives you plausible deniability if you choose to ignore a softly-voiced chat attempt (“I didn’t hear you”).
Put up a sign. “If your question can wait, my project won’t be late”. If Chatty still does not get the point, then it is time to take Chatty to lunch, away from work and firmly but nicely explain your feelings about your work ethic. Chatty will get the point if you are firm enough.
While annoying, I would certainly not report it to HR as harrassment. This to me is a bit extreme and could cost this woman her job and future jobs. She doesn’t seem to be doing anything malicious. Some people are natural born talkers and she probably cannot help herself.
I find when I am busy and someone keeps talking, I just keep working. Eventually, they get the point at least for a while. I also like the idea of getting up and walking away. Go to the copier or the fax machine with real purpose in your step. When you don’t answer her questions a few times, she might get the point.
I ask, “Is this something that can wait?” I also give them a specific time or timeframe so they don’t come back before then. When I’m working on dead lines, I have placed signs that just state “Working on Time Sensitive Material” which not only cuts down the interruptions but keeps them short. If someone has a quick question, I answer politely and state something like, “let me know if there is something else” and immediately break eye-contact and bury my head back into my work or pick up the phone as if I need to make a call (I’ve actually dialed my own home number), or stand up with paper in hand (I always leave my non-essential copying, filing, delivery set aside to do at a specific time of the day, but will do it to break away from someone I need to get away from. This isn’t with everyone, just with the two chatter boxes in the office. They don’t come around to my desk as much anymore…
Our office at one time during peak work hours would put up flags in each cube a green flag meant ok to interupt a red flag meant do not disturb. Some even put up police tape on their cube doorway to discourage interuptions.
I have the exact same situation at my work. I’ve tried everything from ignoring her (not making contact), telling her directly, etc. Someone told me to go to your HR dept or office manager and report it as harrassment, because lket’s face it – if you’ve asked to to stop and isn’t she is harrassing you and distrupting your work. Your manager or HR dept should jump on that quickly when you use that word. Otherwise, maybe say to her you would love to chat over lunch, can’t during work anymore. It will eventually pass. If you continue to ignore her she will eventually move on to someone else who will give her the attention she is craving.
I used to have an identical problem with one person. What I would do is find a reason to get up from the desk, whether it was go to the bathroom, bring mail to our mail bin, whatever. Just the act of my getting up and taking one or two steps ALWAYS got the point across that the conversation was ending.