A Little Office Chatter Can Create A Lot Of Good Feelings

NEW YORK - With the football playoffs under way and the presidential election campaign becoming more intense, small-business owners may find that some of their staffers are a little distracted and more inclined to talk than work.

A smart boss will tolerate some chatter, recognizing that staffers who feel good in the workplace are likely to be more productive, rather than less.

"I want people to enjoy coming to the office and working. I want them to get things done, and I don't think the two are mutually exclusive," said Marty Kotis, chief executive of Kotis Properties, a Greensboro, N.C., commercial real estate development company.

"I'm not a micromanager. I have a goal; they have to do it. If they want to relax along the way, that's great," he said.

Staffers who stop working to talk about sports or politics are not much different from those running the office Super Bowl pool or doing some Internet shopping or e-mailing. Such activities are all distractions that company owners should accept as part of the workplace, as long as staffers don't abuse the privilege.

Trying to clamp down on employee conversations can create an atmosphere that's unpleasant, even oppressive.

"You don't want to have an inhuman workplace," said lawyer Jonathan Segal of Philadelphia-based Wolf, Block, Schorr and Solis-Cohen LLP.

The camaraderie that comes with workers sharing a little fun can go a long way toward their feeling like part of a team. It's well known that when staffers are happy, they work better.

Let's say, however, that the talk is running on a little too long, and you're sensing that productivity is being hurt. Raise the issue at a staff meeting, or send e-mail to the employees who aren't getting their work done, suggests Bob Burbidge, founder of Genesis Consolidated Services, a Burlington, Mass.-based provider of human resources outsourcing.

Don't use a verbal sledgehammer, however. A firm but friendly reminder that work needs to be the first priority is a better approach.

"You just have to kind of raise the level of awareness a bit, and try to keep it so we can respect each other's time," Burbidge said.

Also, he said, don't chew someone out publicly. If you need to tell staffers in person that they're overdoing the chatter, do it privately to avoid humiliating them and making everyone else feel uncomfortable.

If their productivity continues to suffer, then you're dealing with a performance and possible discipline issue.

If you really do need staffers to focus on their work and not talk, you might want to consider an entirely different tack: Set aside some break time, or time for a companywide lunch or Friday afternoon party. Let staffers know that's the time when they can talk away about the Super Bowl, or whatever they're interested in.

Burbidge says his own company has such gatherings weekly, and they help foster a good work atmosphere.

"We get the work done and then we'll play," he said. "It works well, and it brings different departments together."