Career
Roundtable
How do you politely tell co-workers to stop chit-chatting in the workplace?
by Andrea King
Q: How do you politely tell co-workers to stop chit-chatting in the workplace? — A.W., New York City.A: This is a common dilemma for the majority of workers, especially for those who work in cubicles or open spaced environments. One way to approach this is to calmly talk to these chit-chatting co-workers about your difficulty concentrating at your desk. Not everyone works best when others are talking, especially when chatting is often louder than office talk. Gently suggest to them other places they can chat, such as, “Have you checked out the nice garden they have put in just outside around the corner?”. If this doesn’t work, bring it up to your supervisor and suggest she/he talk to these colleagues without mentioning your name. Sometimes supervisors are too busy and/or not present enough to notice.
Related Links
Andrea King, M.S., N.C.C. is a Career Counselor in private practice located in Portland, OR. She assists clients nationwide with a wide variety of career-related issues. Find helpful links at her website: www.careerful.com. If you have a question for Andrea, please send it to roundtable@poisemag.com.