How to politely tell someone I'm actually busy
-
Doesn't work. I use that all the time, but my coworkers continue to talk to me all the same
Anything that is unrelated to elephants is irrelephant
Anonymous
-----
The problem with quotes on the internet is that you can never tell if they're genuine
Winston Churchill, 1944
-----
Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.
Mark TwainWhat used to really get to me is people who would come in - often through a deliberately closed office door - and just start talking to me, even if I was already on the phone or talking to someone else! Even telling them to "f. off" has no effect!
-
I have a sign I place outside my cube that looks something like this:
Do Not Disturb Unless it's on fire
Software Zen:
delete this; -
I would kill for a cube. It's completely open plan here. Can't hear yourself think this time of year for the endless chatter about who so-and-so is going to take to the xmas Do.
I would hate working in an open plan office. It's bad enough where I work when people are yakking on their phones and having aisle design reviews. At that, it's better than it was. Before our layoffs, we had most of our cubes occupied and the noise was obnoxious. Now, it's down to 1 in 4, if that :sigh:.
Software Zen:
delete this; -
I have a work colleague who has a habit of disturbing me while I'm working. He's a great bloke in every other sense, but he will often disturb me while I'm working with non-work related conversations e.g. "Hey did you see this on the news this morning....." etc. These can occur at any time of the day, not just lunchtime. I appreciate his friendliness, but would also appreciate being left alone to get on with my job. I don't mind the work related discussion, but I find the non-work related chat a distraction. What's a polite way of telling them that I'm actually busy.
"There are two ways of constructing a software design: One way is to make it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies, and the other way is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious deficiencies. The first method is far more difficult." - C.A.R. Hoare Home | LinkedIn | Google+ | Twitter
I'm like that bloke. A certain member of our staff simply points at the door and says "Get out!". I value that phrase better than the one in which he points to a trash bin and says my body would fit in it. :-)
-
I have a work colleague who has a habit of disturbing me while I'm working. He's a great bloke in every other sense, but he will often disturb me while I'm working with non-work related conversations e.g. "Hey did you see this on the news this morning....." etc. These can occur at any time of the day, not just lunchtime. I appreciate his friendliness, but would also appreciate being left alone to get on with my job. I don't mind the work related discussion, but I find the non-work related chat a distraction. What's a polite way of telling them that I'm actually busy.
"There are two ways of constructing a software design: One way is to make it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies, and the other way is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious deficiencies. The first method is far more difficult." - C.A.R. Hoare Home | LinkedIn | Google+ | Twitter
-
I have a work colleague who has a habit of disturbing me while I'm working. He's a great bloke in every other sense, but he will often disturb me while I'm working with non-work related conversations e.g. "Hey did you see this on the news this morning....." etc. These can occur at any time of the day, not just lunchtime. I appreciate his friendliness, but would also appreciate being left alone to get on with my job. I don't mind the work related discussion, but I find the non-work related chat a distraction. What's a polite way of telling them that I'm actually busy.
"There are two ways of constructing a software design: One way is to make it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies, and the other way is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious deficiencies. The first method is far more difficult." - C.A.R. Hoare Home | LinkedIn | Google+ | Twitter
My spidey sense it tingling, and it tells me that you are averse to conflict. If so, you may be getting in your own way... A straight forward way to address this is to state your feelings, without ambiguity. Be sure to include any empathetic feelings you have for them, and validate their position as much as you can. Then, gain & maintain credibility on this issue by disallowing satisfaction for them in the future each time that they are discourteous to the feelings you made clear. I know, it's easier said than done...
cmkrnl. I win.
-
I have a work colleague who has a habit of disturbing me while I'm working. He's a great bloke in every other sense, but he will often disturb me while I'm working with non-work related conversations e.g. "Hey did you see this on the news this morning....." etc. These can occur at any time of the day, not just lunchtime. I appreciate his friendliness, but would also appreciate being left alone to get on with my job. I don't mind the work related discussion, but I find the non-work related chat a distraction. What's a polite way of telling them that I'm actually busy.
"There are two ways of constructing a software design: One way is to make it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies, and the other way is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious deficiencies. The first method is far more difficult." - C.A.R. Hoare Home | LinkedIn | Google+ | Twitter
Open workspace? Headphones are a good suggestion. Some here also use lights that are red, yellow, and green: Red = "Do not disturb - something better be well and truly on fire" Yellow = "I can talk but it better be important" Green = "Always working but willing to pause" If you have an office, use your door to communicate your status and let folks know what it means (same as colors above). Closed = Red Mostly closed but ajar = Yellow Open = Green Barring that, the truth often works well, "Sorry to be rude, but I'm in the middle of something pretty gnarly. Can I get back to you?"
-
I have a work colleague who has a habit of disturbing me while I'm working. He's a great bloke in every other sense, but he will often disturb me while I'm working with non-work related conversations e.g. "Hey did you see this on the news this morning....." etc. These can occur at any time of the day, not just lunchtime. I appreciate his friendliness, but would also appreciate being left alone to get on with my job. I don't mind the work related discussion, but I find the non-work related chat a distraction. What's a polite way of telling them that I'm actually busy.
"There are two ways of constructing a software design: One way is to make it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies, and the other way is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious deficiencies. The first method is far more difficult." - C.A.R. Hoare Home | LinkedIn | Google+ | Twitter
Perhaps print off and post this on the back of your chair: https://www.monkeyuser.com/2018/focus/
-
Don't even need the actual music, just bang some headphones on and let the assumptions you are listening to music have their way. Perhaps just nod a little every now an then to eliminate any creeping doubts.
I though I was the only one to do that...
-
I have a work colleague who has a habit of disturbing me while I'm working. He's a great bloke in every other sense, but he will often disturb me while I'm working with non-work related conversations e.g. "Hey did you see this on the news this morning....." etc. These can occur at any time of the day, not just lunchtime. I appreciate his friendliness, but would also appreciate being left alone to get on with my job. I don't mind the work related discussion, but I find the non-work related chat a distraction. What's a polite way of telling them that I'm actually busy.
"There are two ways of constructing a software design: One way is to make it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies, and the other way is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious deficiencies. The first method is far more difficult." - C.A.R. Hoare Home | LinkedIn | Google+ | Twitter
In the past I have just said, "I'm upgrading the payroll system right now" and whatever and whoever it was vaporises and disappears. I used that every day for a week once (of course one of my responsibilities is the payroll/HR system). Got loads of actual real work done. It's amazing how the possibility of no pay come payday puts things into perspective. :)
If your neighbours don't listen to The Ramones, turn it up real loud so they can. “We didn't have a positive song until we wrote 'Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue!'” ― Dee Dee Ramone "The Democrats want my guns and the Republicans want my porno mags and I ain't giving up either" - Joey Ramone
-
My spidey sense it tingling, and it tells me that you are averse to conflict. If so, you may be getting in your own way... A straight forward way to address this is to state your feelings, without ambiguity. Be sure to include any empathetic feelings you have for them, and validate their position as much as you can. Then, gain & maintain credibility on this issue by disallowing satisfaction for them in the future each time that they are discourteous to the feelings you made clear. I know, it's easier said than done...
cmkrnl. I win.
Quite the opposite. I'm the bluntest person in the office. However, I have to work with this guy, and being blunt wouldn't be a good strategy. It's his first job and he's very young. Sometimes diplomacy is the more appropriate approach.
"There are two ways of constructing a software design: One way is to make it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies, and the other way is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious deficiencies. The first method is far more difficult." - C.A.R. Hoare Home | LinkedIn | Google+ | Twitter