Q: We have a co-worker who is very knowledgeable and sought after for advice. The problem is that he is an incessant talker and you can’t ask a question without getting drawn into a lengthy response where he continues with details long after it’s necessary. Some employees have complained that he wastes their time and now I’m concerned they’ll avoid engaging him and we’ll be missing out on his valuable experience. As management, what should we do?

A;  Incessant talkers take many different forms. We are all familiar with those whose nervous chattiness jumps from topic to topic and seem intent not so much in informing you, but in hearing themselves talk. However the incessant talker you are describing seems to at least stay on topic, it sounds like he enjoys sharing information or is fascinated by the subject. He may not think he is being excessive.

Here are a few tips:

Talk to the employee. “Tom, you’re so knowledgeable people seek you out for advice and I appreciate you sharing your insights. But sometimes you provide too much detail and it takes too long. Can you try to keep it shorter? I want people to benefit from your experience without feeling like they have to cut you off.” This states the problem but lets him know he is valued.

Train staff how to ask the questions. I saw a comment on a forum from the “chatty person” herself. She explained that she went into a lot of detail because she felt an obligation to cover all the contingencies and rationales. She suggested that if someone were to ask for “bullet points” or “high level” answers that she would shorten the response.

Ask the employee for their input. How would he like to be cued by others to know when they need a short answer or whether he has gone on too long? Someone else suggested starting the question with “I’ve only got five minutes”. Or to interject, “I see, that’s all I need right now. Thank you.”

I hope this helps you figure out how to best continue benefiting from his knowledge and insight, without hurting his morale.

©Copyright Eva Del Rio

Eva Del Rio is creator of HR Box™ – tools for small businesses and startups. Send questions to Eva@evadelrio.com