How do you nicely tell someone...

[Hillbeans]

Not to bombard you at your work desk before you even have your coat and purse off?

I barely had one foot in the door today and I get cornered by my employees about nonsense stuff. Is there a nice way to tell them to back off and give me a minute?

I'm thinking next time it happens, to say "I don't really know a nice way to say this, however i'd appreciate it if you could give me 5 minutes to settle into my desk before running in to me with something that is a non-emergency."

 

[Serena]

Your words sound good to me. Either that, or growl at them.

 

[HollyJoy]

I think that would be a great way to do it!

 

[Dreamer04]

Sounds good to me.

 

[DoeWDW]

I like your words - respectful but to the point.

Let them know how you feel!

 

[Minniespal]

Sounds like a great way to do it.

 

[stinkerbelle]

how about "let me get caffinated - then I'll deal with you"

 

[Trish Bessette]

I think you put it perfectly!

I would say, I don't have the energy to listen to your crap until I have at least 2 cups of coffee in me. Come back at that time

Have a good day

 

[Otto's Doll]

Not quite the same, but I am the secretary at our church, and I have had to make a point of politely telling people on Sundays "Could you leave me a note, or call me tomorrow? Or just go ahead and put it in my mailbox, and I will take a look tomorrow." I don't work Sundays!
It can be very hard to get that few minutes (or that Sunday!) to yourself to get settled!

 

[Missy1961]

What do you say if the someone who bugs you is your boss? And I'm not coming in late--I'm always in at least 15 minutes early!

 

[tkyes]

You could say "I'm sorry, I have to get settled. Can I come down to your cube in 15 minutes and we can chat about this?"

I hate when that happens!

I might avoid the "non-emergency" part - jmo


tamie

 

[Maleficent13]

I'm pre-emptive. I tell all new employees that I am not available to them until 8:30am, even though we start at 8am. That way I get a half hour before the bombardment starts (and it does, every day).

On a related note: why is it that employees who have worked at the same job every day for 5 years, will still come to you almost daily for reassurances that they are doing everything correctly? And at 8:03am??

 

[cynsaun]

Don't brush your teeth and get right in their face when they come up to talk.

That will back them up immediately!

 

[Hillbeans]

Originally posted by Maleficent13
I'm pre-emptive. I tell all new employees that I am not available to them until 8:30am, even though we start at 8am. That way I get a half hour before the bombardment starts (and it does, every day).

On a related note: why is it that employees who have worked at the same job every day for 5 years, will still come to you almost daily for reassurances that they are doing everything correctly? And at 8:03am??

Do you work where I do....??? Same story here.

The life threatening issue here today was that our Lexmark Printer was spitting out paper on the floor (gasp) and how in the world can we get our work done? The printer only holds about 500 sheets in the output bin and when it gets full it may spit out a few sheets on the floor. You'd have thought the roof caved in or something the way I was approached walking in the door.

I think it's time for me to go on vacation.

 

[tjmw2727]

I like your wording and think your on the right track. The thought I had was to talk with them at another point in the day so as not to put them on the spot when they are doing this in the morning. Perhaps a 1-1 with each of them later in the day or a meeting to explain that you need to take 15 minutes to 1/2 hour in the morning and then for the next 1/2 hour or so is "open door"?

Good Luck

TJ

 

[Saffron]

I think what you want to say is perfectly fine.

Now can you please find a way for me to tell my elderly mother the same thing from the days I walk in the door from work or school? I just need time to get my body fully in the door and get the door closed behind me, but 10 minutes to unwind would be great! Thanks! Oh ... reasoning, requesting, requiring, begging and yelling all have been tried and don't work.

 

[my3kids]

Get there first. Then you have time to get some intitial work done before the phone starts ringing and people ar at your door.

 

[Hillbeans]

Glad to hear i'm not the only one this happens to, either at work or home.

 

[SandraM]

I heard of a place where management operates an open-door policy - the doors of the bosses are actually open all the time.

The only "catch" is that employees have to take a card from a box beside the door and answer the "Four problem-solving questions" which are:

What's the problem?

What's causing the problem?

What possible solutions are there?

Which solution is the best?

Once employees have completed this little questionnaire they are absolutely welcomed into the bosses offices. However, answering the questions usually eliminates the need to go to the boss in the first place! Apparently it works really well.

 

[Maleficent13]

Originally posted by Hillbeans
Do you work where I do....??? Same story here.

The life threatening issue here today was that our Lexmark Printer was spitting out paper on the floor (gasp) and how in the world can we get our work done? The printer only holds about 500 sheets in the output bin and when it gets full it may spit out a few sheets on the floor. You'd have thought the roof caved in or something the way I was approached walking in the door.

I think it's time for me to go on vacation.

This cracked me up!! The other day, one of my employees (the one that has to be reassured every couple minutes) comes sprinting to my door: "The copier says it's out of toner!!!!"

I look quietly at her for a moment or two, and then finally say: "Did you replace the toner?"

Her: "No."

Me: "Don't you think that would be the best way to handle the problem?"

Her: *stares blankly at me and drifts out the door*