A common source of stress on the job is being interrupted by coworkers. Recently a viewer of my ongoing Productivity Video Series reached out to me about this problem. For him, it’s a challenge that’s hurting the quality of his work, has him considering quitting his job, and is bringing a lot of work stress home to his family.
The Problem
“Brian,” works at a job where a high level of concentration is required. Some of his coworkers apparently have lighter workloads and like to come and talk to him. Brian does not mind this for a few minutes, once in a while.
Unfortunately, he finds himself constantly interrupted by coworkers. He’s struggling to work in a revolving door of distractions.
Brian has taken a couple of steps to try to fix the situation. He’ll leave his work area for a few minutes when a talkative coworker appears. Brian also asked for support from his supervisor.
These were good steps but the results have been disappointing. Brian has found that as soon as he returns to his work area, so do the talkers. They didn’t get the hint that he’s busy and doesn’t want to chat.
Brian says he did talk to his supervisor about the problem. Apparently, the boss was sympathetic but has taken no action to protect Brian’s time or given more work to the talkers. We don’t know if the supervisor lacks competence or is unable to make any changes due to unknown factors.
As a result, Brian feels stuck in a bad situation.
My Advice if You’re Interrupted by Coworkers
It’s not uncommon to have coworkers who are less motivated than you. The problem is they will drag you down to a lower performance level. It is a challenge to try to change someone’s behavior when you have no supervisory power over them.
Sometimes, you can put up a sign that says “Can’t talk now. Come back later,” when you have to focus on important tasks. Over time, you can put the sign up more and more. You’re training people not to bug you.
A similar tactic has you wear headphones, making it harder to start a conversation. I realize in both of these cases, some people still won’t get the hint.
So what’s the best way to get rid of someone who doesn’t like to work? If the talker continues to hang out in your area, then give the person some of your work.
It can be something simple, like cleaning or filing. You can say, “Hey, I’d love to hang out but I’ve got a lot of work to do, so if you want to stick around, I’ll need you to help me with some stuff.”
Obviously, you’re not the person’s boss but there’s no reason why you can’t ask for help. I’ve found that people will either help out or start to avoid your area because you’ve created an expectation of work and productivity.
All of these strategies are designed to make people understand that your area is not the break room.
Final Thoughts
If the problem and the stress from it continues, Brian may want to look for a job elsewhere. This kind of departure should be a well thought out process. Not every work situation is perfect and the same applies to coworkers.
There’s also a chance the low performing colleague may leave the organization, either by choice or firing.
Maybe it’s time to bring Ken Okel to your next meeting…
