8 Tips to Handle a Talkative Coworker
Having a talkative coworker in the office can be very distracting and may affect your output and overall productivity. We give you some of the ways in which you can handle such a team member.
1. Keep your door closed
If you have a cabin with a door, then it could work if you simply start keeping your door closed. It will reduce the incoming noise and would also make the coworker think twice before knocking at your door time and again.
2. Make an imaginary call
If you have a phone at your desk, it could come to your rescue. Whenever your talkative coworker starts conversing with you, excuse yourself by saying that you need to make an important phone call. Just dial some random number and pretend that you are busy talking to someone else.
3. Have an intervention
Make others around you aware of your discomfort. Chances are that they feel equally annoyed with that coworker. If that is the case, then you could all set up a meeting with the person and voice your concerns. Make sure you are firm but polite. The coworker should not feel that he or she is being ganged up on.
4. Keep your replies short
Another thing that you can try is to reply with a simple “yes” or “no”. Do not engage in lengthy conversation with interrogatives like “why” or “how”. Just keep your replies short and simple so as to not give a reason for the coworker to continue the chat.
