Every workplace has them: The chatterboxes, the complainers, the borrowers, the interrupters, the favour-askers.

Their behaviour eats up a lot of their time - and when they amble over to your desk or office, they can waste your time, too.

But it doesn't need to happen.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents to a recent online poll at U.S. job-search site truejobs.com said their work was negatively affected by co-workers' annoying behaviour. And 40 per cent of the 2,200 respondents said they have changed jobs because of it.

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It's natural to want to share family news or office gossip, but be aware how co-worker interaction can affect the workplace.

Yet more than half said they hadn't even considered confronting their colleagues.

Changing jobs to get away from co-workers is an extreme example of the 'flight-or-fight' reaction we have to stress, says Lisa Peters, an instructor at 3e Training Inc. in Victoria, B.C. The company delivers courses on developing such workplace skills as managing time, measuring performance, setting goals, managing contracts and finances.

To someone without problem-solving skills, changing jobs might seem like a good choice. Problem is, they'll likely encounter similar behaviour at their next job, too.

"You can't change other people," Peters notes.

But you can change the way you think about these interruptions - and change the way you handle them.

"Some interruptions by co-workers ARE our work - but we don't view them that way," says Peters, who leads workshops that train people how to get along in the workplace.

"We often see serving external customers as so important, but discount our internal customers," she says. Also, we develop our daily agendas without accounting for office interactions.

"You know what you have planned for the day, but forget to plan to react to the environment."

Result? We reach the end of the day without getting to the end of the to-do list, and we're resentful of the minutes "frittered away" by interruptions from co-workers.

The first step in changing your attitude about time-wasters is to be realistic about your time demands. Few of us have jobs where 100 per cent of our workday is spent accomplishing our personal goals. "If you're an administrator, 70 per cent of your day might be set aside for reacting (to staff), and 30 per cent to your planned agenda," says Peters. For office workers, the ratio could be reversed. And for line work or customer service, there may be only small slices of time available for interacting with co-workers.

When we set aside time for colleague interaction, just like time for answering e-mails or voicemail messages, our to-do list may be shorter, but also more achievable - without resentment.

Also, sometimes wasting time isn't necessarily a waste of time.

"A lot of work happens informally," says Peters. "Some frivolous conversation may not seem related to your primary goal, but is valuable for building personal relationships and team-building."

And remember, you are part of a team (even if you don't feel that way).

Off-the-wall comments during a chat can also offer solutions to real problems - suggestions that would never be made in a more formal meeting.

Many of us spend more hours in the company of co-workers than with members of our family. It's natural to want to share life's joys, such as wedding and baby pictures or vacation snaps, with co-workers. And when things go wrong at work, it's handy to have someone safe to vent to, or to offer a supportive shoulder to cry on.

In moderation, these behaviours build relationships, and good relationships make teamwork possible. Without moderation, though, it can affect productivity - your own, your team's, the division's, even the whole company's.

Once you've budgeted a realistic amount of time for co-worker interactions, the next step is sticking to the budget. This requires two skills: Getting co-workers to respect your time limits and saying no more often.

Peters says most work falls into one of two categories: Tasks that can be done in short bursts of time, when interruptions aren't as bothersome; and work requiring more time or concentration, when interruptions disrupt productivity.

In an open office, you can physically move when you don't want to be interrupted - book a meeting room or borrow an office when you're facing the deadline for a report. Close the door. If necessary, post a sign saying "no interruptions, please."

But even when you're available to colleagues, you'll want to control the amount of time you spend oohing over baby pictures or listening to a complaint.

When the chatterbox appears, state clearly how much time you have right now to talk, suggests Peters. "I'm kind of busy, but have two minutes to talk."

If you're being truthful, show respect for the other person by giving them your undivided attention (don't delete things from your e-mail list or shuffle papers when they're talking). Make eye contact, react to what they're saying. At the end of that two minutes, give the listener a physical clue the conversation is drawing to a close. In an office, says Peters, get up and start walking toward the door - the co-worker will automatically follow.

Or give a verbal clue: 'I have to prepare for that long-distance call' or 'I've got to get back to that report.' If you don't have time to talk, say so - and suggest a time that's more convenient, says Peters.

" 'I'd love to talk about it, but I'm pressed for time right now. Can we talk over lunch? Can I call you at 3:30?' You need a repertoire," says Peters.

To make it clear it's not a brushoff, validate the co-worker's feelings. Saying "I have another important thing to do right now - can we talk later?" lets them know you consider them important, too, says Peters, and gives you the opportunity to set up a conversation when you're more in control of the time and place.

Part of that repertoire has to be saying no - to the co-workers who ask favours that subtly shift workload from their desk to yours, to the chronic interrupters who want your advice or input on seemingly every task, and especially to the Negative Norms and Normas.

"Instead of saying to yourself, 'I don't have time for this,' ask yourself 'what is this person's need?' " suggests Peters. Understanding their motivation gives you clues about handling the persistent problem.

For example, if you can see the root of the complainer's problem is a need to be recognized, you can make a point of informally thanking them for their contributions. "Thanks for getting the data to me. It really helped me meet my deadline for that report."

If you seem to be the regular target of the complainer or advice-seeker, ask yourself if it's because you are taking on the problem or work for them.

If so, teach them problem-solving behaviour. Ask for a clear statement of the problem, and alternatives. Ask for pros and cons of each. Commiserate with them over the difficulty of the decision - then hit the ball back into their court. "I can see it's going to take time to mull over. Let me know what you decide.”

Then, change the subject, excuse yourself gracefully and leave or walk them to the door - and let them get on with it.

But what if you're trapped by a negative colleague who drones on and on about what's wrong with the job, the assignment, the department, the company?

Make it clear you disagree, then change the subject.

Statements such as "we don't see eye-to-eye on that," "I've always been treated fairly by so-and-so" and "I guess we're going to have to disagree," or "I prefer to focus on the positive," let the complainer know you will not lend a sympathetic ear.

Changing your attitude and behaviour can change the focus from putting up with a problem to "creating a culture of productivity," says Peters.

Yes, there are websites that purport to offer anonymous messaging to alert your co-workers by e-mail about their annoying behaviour. Do not use them. Develop your own problem-solving and coping skills instead. Trust me, you'll feel better.

Now, let's all get back to work.

(Sharon Adams can be reached at sharon@businessedge.ca)