Too Much Office Chatter? What a Business Owner Can Do
Sunday, January 8th, 2012The presidential primary season is upon us, and the Super Bowl isn’t that far off. Small-business owners may find productivity dipping as employees talk about the candidates and this weekend’s game.
How much chatter is OK when there’s work to be done? And, what if the discussions get a little heated?
Some things for you to consider when workers get distracted by what’s going on outside the company:
Don’t Be an Ogre
If your staff is generally hard-working, but gets a little sidetracked because of all the news, cut them some slack — as long as the company isn’t under pressure to get a project done or an order completed right away.
If you have few employees, or it’s just a small group of employees doing the chattering, it’s easy enough to say, “Hey, let’s have this conversation later. We need to get the work done first.” Think about the approach: you’re not forbidding the discussion. You’re reminding everyone of the priority, which is work.
With a larger group, you may need to use e-mail, but keep that same tone. For example: “We’re all interested in the Super Bowl, but let’s save the conversation for break time or lunch.”
The key is to prevent a work atmosphere that’s unpleasant or oppressed. Allowing your staff to socialize on the job is a morale builder and, in the end, helps them work better together. And remember, when the job market eases and more people are able to find work, you don’t want to lose your best employees because they’d rather work for someone who seems more humane.
A Caveat About Politics
The First Amendment doesn’t give the employees of a small business freedom of speech protection. But some states do have laws that protect the rights of employees to express their political views. You should learn about the laws of your…
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