Talkative Coworkers [duplicate]

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  How can I tell people to get to the point?
  
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• 
  How can one politely keep a coworker on topic? [duplicate]
  
  2 answers
  
  

I have a colleague that is really good at his job but sometimes we get off topic and explore a few "rabbit holes" onto more personal topics. I don't want to appear that I'm a chatty Cathy so I am wondering how can I get my coworker back on topic faster when I realize we are going down a rabbit hole?

work-environment colleagues

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edited Aug 14 at 20:07

asked Aug 14 at 15:07

devCO

85

marked as duplicate by gnat, Mister Positive, DarkCygnus, IDrinkandIKnowThings, mcknz Aug 17 at 12:54

This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @devCO Is the tangent about professional topics or personal topics?
  – Lumberjack
  Aug 14 at 17:46
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

up vote
-2
down vote

favorite

This question already has an answer here:

• 
  How can I tell people to get to the point?
  
  14 answers
  
  


• 
  How can one politely keep a coworker on topic? [duplicate]
  
  2 answers
  
  

I have a colleague that is really good at his job but sometimes we get off topic and explore a few "rabbit holes" onto more personal topics. I don't want to appear that I'm a chatty Cathy so I am wondering how can I get my coworker back on topic faster when I realize we are going down a rabbit hole?

work-environment colleagues

share|improve this question

edited Aug 14 at 20:07

asked Aug 14 at 15:07

devCO

85

marked as duplicate by gnat, Mister Positive, DarkCygnus, IDrinkandIKnowThings, mcknz Aug 17 at 12:54

This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @devCO Is the tangent about professional topics or personal topics?
  – Lumberjack
  Aug 14 at 17:46
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

up vote
-2
down vote

favorite

up vote
-2
down vote

favorite

This question already has an answer here:

• 
  How can I tell people to get to the point?
  
  14 answers
  
  


• 
  How can one politely keep a coworker on topic? [duplicate]
  
  2 answers
  
  

I have a colleague that is really good at his job but sometimes we get off topic and explore a few "rabbit holes" onto more personal topics. I don't want to appear that I'm a chatty Cathy so I am wondering how can I get my coworker back on topic faster when I realize we are going down a rabbit hole?

work-environment colleagues

share|improve this question

edited Aug 14 at 20:07

asked Aug 14 at 15:07

devCO

85

This question already has an answer here:

• 
  How can I tell people to get to the point?
  
  14 answers
  
  


• 
  How can one politely keep a coworker on topic? [duplicate]
  
  2 answers
  
  

I have a colleague that is really good at his job but sometimes we get off topic and explore a few "rabbit holes" onto more personal topics. I don't want to appear that I'm a chatty Cathy so I am wondering how can I get my coworker back on topic faster when I realize we are going down a rabbit hole?

This question already has an answer here:

• 
  How can I tell people to get to the point?
  
  14 answers
  
  


• 
  How can one politely keep a coworker on topic? [duplicate]
  
  2 answers
  
  

work-environment colleagues

share|improve this question

edited Aug 14 at 20:07

asked Aug 14 at 15:07

devCO

85

share|improve this question

share|improve this question

edited Aug 14 at 20:07

edited Aug 14 at 20:07

edited Aug 14 at 20:07

asked Aug 14 at 15:07

devCO

85

asked Aug 14 at 15:07

devCO

85

asked Aug 14 at 15:07

devCO

85

85

marked as duplicate by gnat, Mister Positive, DarkCygnus, IDrinkandIKnowThings, mcknz Aug 17 at 12:54

This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.

marked as duplicate by gnat, Mister Positive, DarkCygnus, IDrinkandIKnowThings, mcknz Aug 17 at 12:54

This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @devCO Is the tangent about professional topics or personal topics?
  – Lumberjack
  Aug 14 at 17:46
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @devCO Is the tangent about professional topics or personal topics?
  – Lumberjack
  Aug 14 at 17:46
  

  
  
  
  

@devCO Is the tangent about professional topics or personal topics?
– Lumberjack
Aug 14 at 17:46

@devCO Is the tangent about professional topics or personal topics?
– Lumberjack
Aug 14 at 17:46

add a comment | 

3 Answers
3

active

oldest

votes

up vote
7
down vote



accepted

Just by doing something to break yourself out of the loop.

Knock on the table to break the conversation and say

Hey, I think we're going off on a tangent here. Can we refresh on what the core objective is here?

And then take things back to your last known good position, restate the salient points and move forward from there with a view to quickly resolving the point of issue.

share|improve this answer

answered Aug 14 at 15:11

Snow♦

50.6k45167212

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up vote
2
down vote

I wouldn't worry about being regarded as "chatty Cathy" by other coworkers, because a) they probably already noticed that it is your coworker that goes down on rabbit holes and b) he's probably doing it to other people too, so he probably already has this reputation among your peers.

Anyway, the best thing for you to do is to just be polite and kindly ask to return to the previous topic. You can make some kind of excuse if it makes you feel more comfortable, like "Wait, before you go on B let's just finish A because my memory is not very good and I'm sure I'll forget it and I don't want this to happen".

share|improve this answer

answered Aug 14 at 18:54

Eric Lino

1614

add a comment | 

up vote
1
down vote

I am wondering how can I get my coworker back on topic faster when I
realize we are going down a rabbit hole?

If you don't want to talk about personal topics, then just don't play along. It takes two to have a conversation.

Something like "Sorry, I don't have time for that right now. Can we get back to talking about X?" should suffice.

share|improve this answer

answered Aug 14 at 20:12

Joe Strazzere

224k107662931

add a comment | 

3 Answers
3

active

oldest

votes

3 Answers
3

active

oldest

votes

active

oldest

votes

active

oldest

votes

up vote
7
down vote



accepted

Just by doing something to break yourself out of the loop.

Knock on the table to break the conversation and say

Hey, I think we're going off on a tangent here. Can we refresh on what the core objective is here?

And then take things back to your last known good position, restate the salient points and move forward from there with a view to quickly resolving the point of issue.

share|improve this answer

answered Aug 14 at 15:11

Snow♦

50.6k45167212

add a comment | 

up vote
7
down vote



accepted

Just by doing something to break yourself out of the loop.

Knock on the table to break the conversation and say

Hey, I think we're going off on a tangent here. Can we refresh on what the core objective is here?

And then take things back to your last known good position, restate the salient points and move forward from there with a view to quickly resolving the point of issue.

share|improve this answer

answered Aug 14 at 15:11

Snow♦

50.6k45167212

add a comment | 

up vote
7
down vote



accepted

up vote
7
down vote



accepted

Just by doing something to break yourself out of the loop.

Knock on the table to break the conversation and say

Hey, I think we're going off on a tangent here. Can we refresh on what the core objective is here?

And then take things back to your last known good position, restate the salient points and move forward from there with a view to quickly resolving the point of issue.

share|improve this answer

answered Aug 14 at 15:11

Snow♦

50.6k45167212

Just by doing something to break yourself out of the loop.

Knock on the table to break the conversation and say

Hey, I think we're going off on a tangent here. Can we refresh on what the core objective is here?

And then take things back to your last known good position, restate the salient points and move forward from there with a view to quickly resolving the point of issue.

share|improve this answer

answered Aug 14 at 15:11

Snow♦

50.6k45167212

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

answered Aug 14 at 15:11

Snow♦

50.6k45167212

answered Aug 14 at 15:11

Snow♦

50.6k45167212

answered Aug 14 at 15:11

Snow♦

50.6k45167212

50.6k45167212

add a comment | 

add a comment | 

up vote
2
down vote

I wouldn't worry about being regarded as "chatty Cathy" by other coworkers, because a) they probably already noticed that it is your coworker that goes down on rabbit holes and b) he's probably doing it to other people too, so he probably already has this reputation among your peers.

Anyway, the best thing for you to do is to just be polite and kindly ask to return to the previous topic. You can make some kind of excuse if it makes you feel more comfortable, like "Wait, before you go on B let's just finish A because my memory is not very good and I'm sure I'll forget it and I don't want this to happen".

share|improve this answer

answered Aug 14 at 18:54

Eric Lino

1614

add a comment | 

up vote
2
down vote

I wouldn't worry about being regarded as "chatty Cathy" by other coworkers, because a) they probably already noticed that it is your coworker that goes down on rabbit holes and b) he's probably doing it to other people too, so he probably already has this reputation among your peers.

Anyway, the best thing for you to do is to just be polite and kindly ask to return to the previous topic. You can make some kind of excuse if it makes you feel more comfortable, like "Wait, before you go on B let's just finish A because my memory is not very good and I'm sure I'll forget it and I don't want this to happen".

share|improve this answer

answered Aug 14 at 18:54

Eric Lino

1614

add a comment | 

up vote
2
down vote

up vote
2
down vote

I wouldn't worry about being regarded as "chatty Cathy" by other coworkers, because a) they probably already noticed that it is your coworker that goes down on rabbit holes and b) he's probably doing it to other people too, so he probably already has this reputation among your peers.

Anyway, the best thing for you to do is to just be polite and kindly ask to return to the previous topic. You can make some kind of excuse if it makes you feel more comfortable, like "Wait, before you go on B let's just finish A because my memory is not very good and I'm sure I'll forget it and I don't want this to happen".

share|improve this answer

answered Aug 14 at 18:54

Eric Lino

1614

I wouldn't worry about being regarded as "chatty Cathy" by other coworkers, because a) they probably already noticed that it is your coworker that goes down on rabbit holes and b) he's probably doing it to other people too, so he probably already has this reputation among your peers.

Anyway, the best thing for you to do is to just be polite and kindly ask to return to the previous topic. You can make some kind of excuse if it makes you feel more comfortable, like "Wait, before you go on B let's just finish A because my memory is not very good and I'm sure I'll forget it and I don't want this to happen".

share|improve this answer

answered Aug 14 at 18:54

Eric Lino

1614

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

answered Aug 14 at 18:54

Eric Lino

1614

answered Aug 14 at 18:54

Eric Lino

1614

answered Aug 14 at 18:54

Eric Lino

1614

1614

add a comment | 

add a comment | 

up vote
1
down vote

I am wondering how can I get my coworker back on topic faster when I
realize we are going down a rabbit hole?

If you don't want to talk about personal topics, then just don't play along. It takes two to have a conversation.

Something like "Sorry, I don't have time for that right now. Can we get back to talking about X?" should suffice.

share|improve this answer

answered Aug 14 at 20:12

Joe Strazzere

224k107662931

add a comment | 

up vote
1
down vote

I am wondering how can I get my coworker back on topic faster when I
realize we are going down a rabbit hole?

If you don't want to talk about personal topics, then just don't play along. It takes two to have a conversation.

Something like "Sorry, I don't have time for that right now. Can we get back to talking about X?" should suffice.

share|improve this answer

answered Aug 14 at 20:12

Joe Strazzere

224k107662931

add a comment | 

up vote
1
down vote

up vote
1
down vote

I am wondering how can I get my coworker back on topic faster when I
realize we are going down a rabbit hole?

If you don't want to talk about personal topics, then just don't play along. It takes two to have a conversation.

Something like "Sorry, I don't have time for that right now. Can we get back to talking about X?" should suffice.

share|improve this answer

answered Aug 14 at 20:12

Joe Strazzere

224k107662931

I am wondering how can I get my coworker back on topic faster when I
realize we are going down a rabbit hole?

If you don't want to talk about personal topics, then just don't play along. It takes two to have a conversation.

Something like "Sorry, I don't have time for that right now. Can we get back to talking about X?" should suffice.

share|improve this answer

answered Aug 14 at 20:12

Joe Strazzere

224k107662931

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

answered Aug 14 at 20:12

Joe Strazzere

224k107662931

answered Aug 14 at 20:12

Joe Strazzere

224k107662931

answered Aug 14 at 20:12

Joe Strazzere

224k107662931

224k107662931

add a comment | 

add a comment |