Dear Hunter,

I manage a team of 8 people who are smart and good at their jobs, but who waste a lot of time all through the workday. They are very chatty, basically. They chat all day about weekend plans, their kids, TV shows, anything but work. We are back to the office a few days a week, so now there is even more time wasted standing around talking and not doing their work. And online in Teams chats that are not about work. We could get so much more done if we just did our work.

I’m not a mean boss. I like seeing my team having fun. If we have a problem with cliques or gossip, I’m not seeing it. (But maybe I wouldn’t see it as much as the boss?) We just would be so much more productive if we just did the work.

How can I crack down on the chit chat without being mean and unfair?

Signed, Chit Chat Cop

Dear Chit Chat Cop,

This is a complex issue. So glad you asked.

First, let’s talk about the good stuff going on. (We like appreciative inquiry around here.) You have a team of people who enjoy spending time with one another. I picture smiles and laughter in the Teams video and around the meeting table. You also say that, as far as you can tell, there’s no in-group/out-group stuff. That’s all good stuff!

What you are dealing with is the balance between productivity (we’re here to work, let’s do that) and your team’s healthy socialization at work (we are people spending time with people).

Here’s one thing that I realized when facing a similar situation years ago with a team of happy, chatty people: In addition to people deserving to be themselves and enjoy themselves at work, there is specific business value in chit chat. Personal connection leads to trust leads to investment in work we share. People who feel safe at work get more done with better results. Some headlines from the research: Happy workers are 13% more productive (Oxford University). Having a best friend at work drives business outcomes, including profitability, safety, and employee satisfaction (Harvard Business Review).

So you can think of the positive and strong personal connections in your team, as evidenced and fueled by the chit chat, as wind in the sails of your team.

Now for productivity: Whether it’s chit chat or taking a walk around the block or running errands over lunch or spending time on https://cat-bounce.com/, people need and deserve breaks. (And in a previous blog: Breaks make us better including better at our work.)

The question you are facing is how much of a break is too much? Which begs the question of how you are measuring people’s productivity.

Is the work quality up to your standards?
Are people missing deadlines?
Do people complain about being too busy? (And then going right back to chit chat for another 20 minutes??)
Are you not doing new projects because of capacity concerns?

If the answer to some of these questions is “yes,” then you may have a productivity problem.

Even if this is the case, I would not go straight to scolding people for chatting with each other throughout the day. I would approach individuals about the issue of productivity and/or work quality, and help them find solutions that work for them. You could recommend someone try a “focus block” which is another way of someone committing to no chit chat for part of the day.

Best of luck! Let me know how it goes.

Quandary Mat: My Team Wastes Too Much Time Chatting