Best Ways To Politely Shut Down A Conversation During Work Time

It is no news that many of us are faced with the challenges of juggling several large life events, as well as handling a full workload. We often work with schedule in other to meet up with deadlines. However, we need not say, our time, and our attention span, is limited. Usually, we are up for a lively conversation with friends but more often than not, recently we have to cut it short and get back to work.

In other to do this, there are two things involved and our choice comes down to this two options: continue talking and suffer the stress of knowing we have many other tasks to accomplish today, or end the chat without offending or rejecting anyone.

The deal is that it is perfectly acceptable and awesome to limit your social interactions while at work. If you do it correctly, people will understand that you are not cutting them out of your life.They will know that you want to talk to them, but you really do have to prioritize in order to get things done. To strike a balance on this, here are a few tips that can help.

Excuse yourself.
Well you can listen for brief time to be polite and then simply say, “Excuse me, I’d really love to talk more with you on this, but I have a deadline to attend to.” If they continue the conversation anyway, you respond firmly with, “what about we set up a time to talk later”

Set an appointment.
You don’t want to risk offending someone with whom you are trying to establish a relationship, so if you are too busy at the moment to chat, suggest finding another time, like lunch or drinks after hours, that will work for the both of you. They will appreciate your acknowledgement of them and you’ll both look forward to a relaxed time together

Give visual signals.
When someone approaches you, pause but not for too long. Keep on working. Most people will get the message that you are busy. Another approach is to use headphones to give a visual signal that you are trying to concentrate. This may prevent others from interrupting you in the first place. If you work in an office setting, put up a "Please Do Not Disturb" sign on your door

Listen with distraction.
When someone really wants to talk and doesn’t get the message that you’re super busy, listen with one ear without fully engaging. Offer little feedback, or one-word answers, while distractedly looking back at your desk or at the project at hand. After a few minutes, excuse yourself by saying something like, “I’m sorry. I'd really like to give you my full attention but I have to finish up before the end of the day.”

Offer an apologetic smile as you say it, or use a smiley emoticon if you’re dashing off a quick email or text message.

The 'pass off.'
Okay this is funny but it works well , when you are trapped in a rambling conversation, pull in another person to join you if possible. Introduce the topic to the new person, and once the other two get a conversation going, politely excuse yourself and don't look back. Be smart about it

Do unto others.
When your workload slows down, you might find yourself in the situation where you want to raise some friendly conversation, but others are busy. Be as respectful of their time as you want them to be of yours.

When working with others, you must maintain a balance between a friendly atmosphere and getting the work done. With respect and consideration, you can create a congenial and productive work environment.

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