8 Steps to Politely Tell a Coworker to Stop Talking

How to Politely Tell a Coworker to Stop Talking

1. Mention your busy schedule

You want to continue chatting because it is fun. Unfortunately, you have work to do. You have deadlines to meet and supervisors to please.

The last thing you want is to underperform and lose your job as a result. How will you pay your bills if that happens? Just thinking about the scenario makes you stressed.

So, you must get back to work. Chances are that your coworker must too. They probably just forgot. It’s easy to lose track of time when you’re chatting away. Therefore, let’s hold everyone accountable by giving each other friendly reminders.

2. Suggest a better time to chat

How does lunch sound? That’s a better time to chat. You can also meet up with your coworker when the workday ends, especially if you two are friends. You can plan a fun activity together over the weekend as well.

By suggesting a better time to chat, you and your coworker will have something to look forward to. As a result, you two will be that much more motivated to get back to work and finish your assignments. So that when it’s time to play, everyone can just play. There will be no reason to think about work.

3. Set boundaries

Letting people know about your boundaries is a form of self-respect. Don’t expect anyone else to speak up for you. Plus, people are not mind readers. They do not know about your likes and dislikes unless you tell them.

So, how do you set boundaries?

First, think about what makes you comfortable and uncomfortable. In this situation, when can your coworkers talk to you? When are you free to answer questions? Are you okay with casual chit-chat at all?

Next, communicate your boundaries to your coworkers. Use a respectful tone and be specific. Be firm yet acknowledge your coworkers’ feelings at the same time.

Then, you need to enforce your boundaries. If not, your coworkers will continue to walk all over you. If you see something that you are not okay with, please speak up. Eventually, your coworkers will get the hint and leave you alone.

4. Don’t ask follow-up questions

If you want a coworker to stop talking, then one of the worst things that you can do is ask follow-up questions. Doing so will tell your coworker that you are interested in what they have to say. Questions keep a conversation going. You don’t want this.

What you should do instead is wait for your coworker to finish a thought and then reply with a closing remark. For example, you can say, “Thank you for letting me know.” If appropriate, you can also say, “Good luck with that.”

Do you see what I’m getting at here?

By using closing remarks, you can naturally end a conversation. You can avoid awkwardness and hurt feelings.

5. Get noise-canceling headphones

What if a coworker isn’t talking to you? What if they are talking to someone else in the office and you just happen to hear every word because you’re nearby? In this case, try telling your colleagues to lower their voices. If they are team players, then they will understand.

You can also wear noise-canceling headphones if you don’t want to say anything. You can’t control people’s actions, but you can control your own reactions.

Moreover, wearing headphones is a nonverbal cue. It means that you are in the middle of something and do not want to be disturbed. If your coworkers have emotional intelligence, then they will know better than to drag you into the conversation.

6. Use other social signals

Besides wearing headphones, you can use other cues to subtly convey to your coworkers that you don’t want to be bothered. For example, you can close the door if you have your own office. If you don’t, then perhaps you can relocate to an empty conference room for a little while.

Also, if you need to make any work-related phone calls, then do it now. Most people know better than to bother anyone on the phone.

Another idea is to take a brief walk to a nearby destination. Coworkers can’t talk to you if you’re not there! Hopefully, everyone resumes working when you come back. You can then do the same.

7. Try to reprioritize tasks

Try rearranging the things on your to-do list to account for working conditions with different noise levels. For example, do you need to complete any administrative tasks that require minimal thinking? You can work on these tasks when there is more chatter in the office.

In contrast, you should work on assignments that require heavy brainpower when the office is less noisy. For example, try to do your most detail-oriented work in the morning, when everyone is just coming in and not ready to talk yet.

8. Recognize any personal issues

I want you to take a moment to be honest with yourself. Do you think you’re the one with the problem?

You must acknowledge that talking at work is inevitable. In many cases, talking is necessary, especially for group projects.

Also, people like to chat to pass the time when it is not as busy.

You can’t expect everyone to work in complete silence all the time. That’s unrealistic. It’s also incredibly boring and even unbearable.

Moreover, people still make noise when they aren’t talking. Think about all the sounds that you might hear at work. Computer keyboards, printers, and phones are three examples.

In general, do you think you are incredibly sensitive to noise? If so, then you might want to do some research on a hearing disorder called hyperacusis. Seek professional medical advice when appropriate.