If you’ve ever been annoyed by constant conversation from a coworker, you’re not alone. 62% of Americans say they don’t enjoy working with chatty coworkers.
A study by a language learning site, Preply, recently found out exactly how people who talk too much impact those around them.
Preply’s results revealed that 95% of people have had at least one talkative coworker, and 64% have had a chatty boss.
When it comes to time wasted chatting, respondents said these chatty coworkers spend an average of 90 minutes of the workday talking and in turn, prevented 71% of their peers from getting work done!
Here’s how Americans avoid distractions from talkative coworkers:
- Listen for bit but then tell them I have to do something.
- Avoid crossing paths with them.
- Tell them directly that I can’t talk.
- Listen for as long as they talk.
- Hide in headphones.
- Ignore them.
If you’ve already gotten sucked into a conversation, here’s how Americans get a chatty coworker to stop talking:
- Multitask while they’re talking.
- Not make eye contact.
- Keep responses short and one worded (ex: “ohh”, “cool”, “wow”).
- Pretend I’m getting a call or need to make a call
- Ignore them.
What are the most bothersome topics? Company gossip was the most annoying topic, closely trailed by politics.
And, names of the most chatty coworkers are Sarah, Jenn, John, Kathy, and Michelle.
No matter your profession or industry, there’s most likely a chatty coworker in your organization. These talkative team members can be found in both in-person and remote offices and can make your job more difficult. Hopefully, these tips help!
