You might think you’re being generous or patient by listening to a chatty coworker talk endlessly, but you’re simply letting resentment fester that’s toxic to your emotional well-being and productivity. Melody Wilding offers advice for setting boundaries with a talkative colleague in a compassionate, diplomatic way that still allows you to get your work done:
- Preempt their request
- Drive towards a close
- Perfect the art of interruption
- Come from your perspective
- Direct dialogue to a certain time
- Have a big picture conversation
Source: Harvard Business Review, November 19, 2021. Link. While setting boundaries with others can be difficult, it’s an exercise in building your confidence.
Every time you assert a limit you prove to yourself that your desires, preferences, and energy are important and should be valued as much as anyone else’s.”