Do you have a direct report who talks only about personal things?
They seem to be a sh*t magnet.
When you ask how they’re doing, they start right in & go on & on & on about it-
the car breaking down,
the kids needing to get to school,
the cat who puked all over the kitchen table during breakfast,
the mother-in-law who calls only to nag & complain.
And all of this before 8 AM.
You want to be supportive but can’t get your work done.
You wonder how they get their work done, too, and frankly, as their supervisor, you know that they don’t really.
You wish they would stop, that somehow they would just… not.
But really, they won’t know unless you tell or show them.
You have to establish a boundary.
It can sound like this:
If you continue to talk to me about personal things, I will redirect you back to work-related things.
If our conversation progresses to non-work related things, I’m going to end the conversation.
If you talk for more than 3 minutes about non-work related things, I will walk away.
It can be that simple.
And then you can focus on your work. Having a boundary & leading by example may encourage them to return to their work, too.
You will feel better about your job, have more focus, productivity, energy, and less irritation, frustration, worry, and stress.
If you have employees to establish boundaries with, I will teach you how. Book a (free) call explore coaching with me. LHW employees, click here. Everyone else, click here. 🙂
