Just a Visitor
Have you ever sat and thought about, in disbelief, all of the chatter you hear when in a waiting room or restroom? What you see and hear when visiting a company’s location, I find quite intriguing and a little amazing. In many cases when I am onsite, I have a very clearly marked badge that has the word “VISITOR” in big, bold letters for everyone to see. I would expect that when employees see a visitor coming down a hallway or dropping by the canteen for a cup of coffee, they would try to avoid the idle chatter and look as if they are on purpose with their company’s objectives. Regretfully, this rarely happens. I am simply ignored, and most of the time, they carry on about their personal problems and complaints, not business.
It is mind-numbing to think that employees would talk so openly about another person on their team, Saturday’s game, or as we so learned from Seinfeld, nothing that matters. Let me clarify, I am not talking about small talk on the way to the meeting, I am referring to a solid fifteen plus minute conversations that doesn’t seem to bring any cohesion to the workforce; no advice given or received in order to get better as a person or company; and no encouragement for a job well done. If you ever want to really hear a great conversation, just sit in the waiting area and listen to the receptionist talk to a family member or friend about the current issues in her life. I find it embarrassing to hear the issues discussed in plain view.
So what can a company do about such idle chatter? Proverbs 10:8 gives us great insight as to what to do:
“The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.”
While we do want to encourage teamwork and instill a sense of family for our associates, we must command values to our associates that such chatter brings not only ruin to them but to your organization. The time wasted, the insults hurled, the customer’s need not met, and not to mention the innocent bystanders having to hear this chatter, will bring ruin to many.
So as a leader in your organization, you may need to command more in the hallways. You’ll soon know that those who don’t accept your commands and leadership are those who can bring ruin to your organization. Be clear in your direction, give insight as to why they need to stay focused on the organization’s needs and your clients. Here is a promise- your business will accelerate.
This is a great blog post. Simple advice… but so important. I’m sharing with all my team…
I learned a lot from this article, great help for me, thank you!