Idle Chatter—Curb It and Get More Done!

Q. We have a few people in our department who really annoy me with their idle chatter. I like to be social, but these people have made a career out of being chatterboxes. Am I off-base or, even though I’m not the supervisor, should I limit the chit-chat? Ted N.

A. A reader recently told me that workplace "chatting" can be valuable two ways: “It provides welcome relief from the sometimes relentless pace at the desk, and co-workers need to connect with each other apart from the work situation. Connecting socially with someone through what may appear to be ‘idle chat’ has often given me a valuable connection when I need something done. Taking the time to connect with a co-worker in a chat session often sets the groundwork for asking for some help later on. Secondly, I've often solved many work problems in what may appear to be ‘idle-chat’ sessions. I'm more apt to ask a few work-related questions, and get the answers, in 5-10 minutes vs. calling a meeting, sending e-mails back and forth, phoning people and playing phone tag.”

Of course, balancing the social chat and work-related side conversations is the key. Idle chat/side conversations can't go on endlessly, thus creating an inefficient work environment. But chatting with a purpose is far different from being a workplace chatterbox. Anita Bruzzese, author of "Take This Job and Thrive," (Impact Publications) notes, “Often we feel trapped when well-known gabbers head our way at work. Maybe they trap us in an office, a cubicle or at the water fountain. After a while, we fear if they don't shut up, they'll suck all the air from the room, leaving us stranded, our ears bleeding and our mouths agape as we grasp for that last chance to interrupt and gain our freedom.”

Bill Lampton, a communications expert in Gainesville, Ga. observes, “There are all kinds of chatterboxes, from the person who talks nonstop through five hours of golf, to the co-worker who keeps a meeting going on too long by saying 'can you rephrase that?’”

Lampton says that there are many ways to get the windbag in your office to move along and bug someone else so you can get your work done, including:

• Offer non-verbal cues. By continuing your work and not making eye contact, many people take the hint and decide to leave. But don't give any encouragement like saying "uh-huh," or nodding your head.

• Make an excuse. Do this when the motormouth is too busy talking to get the subtle clues. Simply say (feel free to interrupt): “I can't talk right now because I'm in the middle of a project that is due soon. Let's talk later.” Or, try “I've got five minutes. What can we cover in that amount of time?” Then stick to the time limit and get on the phone or walk away.

• Get physical. When children interrupt, parents often hold up a hand like a traffic cop to get their attention and stop them from speaking. The same can work with chatty adults: Hold up your hand and say, “Sorry; I can't get into this now. Please send me a note or schedule an appointment to talk about it later.” Or, simply walk away from the person, making the excuse to use the restroom.

• Enlist help. Lampton says his father had a buzzer under his desk that he used to signal a secretary so she could “rescue” him from windbags. “Anyone can do that. Ask a co-worker to come and get you if you're not done with the person in 15 minutes,” he suggests. “And then you can return the favor.”

• Intercept. Keep the person from trapping you in an office or other confined space where you’re at their mercy. If you see them coming, grab the phone and pretend to be talking to someone, then don't look up when they come your way. Lampton says he knows a man who immediately puts on headphones on an airplane, even though he listens to nothing. This keeps others from talking to him.

But what if the gabber is your boss? “That's even more reason to say you're busy working on the project, so ask if you can talk later, or what is critical that needs to be discussed immediately,” Lampton suggests.

He adds: “If you've got a person who just talks and talks, interrupt him and say, 'that sounds like a fine idea. We don't have time for discussing it further now, so please summarize your suggestion in a note to me. Nothing elaborate, just a one- or two-page outline. Now, I think someone else had something we have to consider...”

The Productivity Institute estimates that 20 percent of the average workday is spent on “crucial” and “important” things, while 80 percent is spent on things that have “little or no value.” For workers stretched to the limit with staff shortages and longer workdays, eliminating even one motormouth can provide relief.