Written by The Honest Boss
How much talking is too much talking in a work environment? With many offices having adopted a hybrid working model, the boundaries between social and professional encounters with colleagues have blurred. So, how should one employee handle the heat from a manager who says they’re being *too* sociable?
“Like many companies, mine has introduced hybrid working and I have to say that my favourite days are when we’re all in the office together. I’m not very good at working in isolation and tend to get quite overwhelmed by the little things without being around my peers and colleagues for reassurance and support.
Even though I’ve been enjoying the camaraderie of the office, my boss has told me that I’m being too disruptive and chatty. It felt a bit like being told off by a schoolteacher. Of course, I understand – people have work to do and I don’t want to make that difficult for anyone. However, after so long away from the office, is it so wrong to want it to be a social environment as well as a professional one? I hate causing a problem, but I don’t want to feel like I can’t chat freely anymore.”
Marie, 32, HR
Since hybrid working has become the norm, it has both surprised and disappointed me that most leaders have not reassessed the real purpose of office life. They seem to have completely missed the point of what happens when a bunch of people gather under the same roof several times a week. Your so-called chattiness indicates to me that you get it. Chatty might be one way to describe it but what you’re demonstrating is a form of proper collegial interaction.
Of course, there’s a serious point here about interrupting and distracting others but I’ll come on to that in a while. The question your bosses should be asking themselves is this: “What is the point of us all commuting together during rush hour, just to sit in silence, completing work that could have been done home alone?” It makes no sense! Coming together should have an entirely different format from working in solitude.
And, I’m not talking about drinking or flirting (although after-hours socialising should definitely be on the agenda). Creative brainstorming, staff training, mentoring, coaching, future planning and strategising — the list of stimulating and productive reasons to get together is endless. These occasions are when more heads are undoubtedly better than one and doing these kinds of things on a remote call, no matter how good, is definitely not as dynamic.
It follows that there is something magical about putting a bunch of colleagues in a room together and observing the creativity unfold. It can be as simple as three people chatting casually while drinking coffee — often that conversation can lead to another that will then lead to the BIG IDEA that ultimately earns the company a lot of money. You can’t plan these chances, you can’t script them — it is the simple psychology of cross-pollination.
You and your colleagues have a special chemistry and your relationships should be equally glorified. Smart bosses are those who’ve ensured that the modern-day workplace needs to create exactly the right environment for teams to bond and blossom. Camaraderie, as you so correctly term it, is key to any company’s success.
For the sake of your colleagues’ sanity (and your own future), you need to rein in your endless chatter so that you aren’t guilty of being seen as a gasbag. To be fair to your office mates, that is distracting. Be a bit more thoughtful about your bantz and try to make it a blend of amusing and useful. Perhaps save your Instagram commentary for when you’re at lunch. This doesn’t mean shutting down your personality but give your boss the chance to appreciate your humour by making a funny aside rather than an endless prattle stream.
Build close relationships with teammates by making astute contributions at meetings or witty one-liners across the coffee maker. You’re so right about enjoying the return to a social environment – but now you need to help your colleagues create this new world order. From what you’ve told me, you’re going to smash it.
Image: Klawe Rzeczy
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