Damon couldn’t believe that I just left in the middle of the conversation and left him hanging.  Later on, he came to my office and I explained the art of walking away.

Although Damon and I were both Lieutenants (and contemporaries), I had a lot more time in the Navy than he did and had learned, the hard way, that there are a lot of people in the workplace who don’t value your time.  They are nice enough people but, if they corner you, they can yammer on about a lot of things that just don’t matter.  Our Chief Staff Officer was one of those people.  I don’t know if he was lonely (or if his mom didn’t hug him enough when he was little) but if he caught you in the passage way he’d undoubtedly tell you the same story he had told you 10 times before and, before you knew it, he’d wasted nearly 30 minutes of your time on things that were nice but didn’t pertain to anything that needed to be done.

Don’t get me wrong…I am not against being social at work.  I think sharing stories are one of the best ways of connecting with people and reinforcing organizational norms. However, the conversations with the Chief Staff Officer did nothing but put me behind on my work (and I had too much to do).  On that day, he stopped Damon and I, began to roll into one of his pointless sea stories and I held up a piece of paper and left.

Do you work with any time parasites?  If so, here are a few strategies I shared with Damon on how to walk away with grace.

No matter where you’re going at work, carry a piece of paper with you.  Truthfully, it doesn’t even need to be an important piece of paper.  Only you know what’s on there.  If you’re cornered, hold it up and say, “gotta take care of this” and walk away.

Another strategy is to look pissed off.  I’ve been blessed with a naturally furrowed brow.  I’m happy and friendly enough but my “thinking face” is one of disdain.  This is a natural repellant to those who wish to waste your time.  If you want a conversation, smile.  If not, don’t.  (You can even mumble to yourself for effect if you wish.)

Lastly, give them the “be right back” and then don’t come back.  Say it with a smile and with eye contact (it has to be believable).  Later, if questioned on why you didn’t come back, tell the truth that you got overwhelmed with work (which is normally true in today’s workplace).

Again, if you have the time for being social and sharing stories, do it.  Sharing stories are the cornerstone of an effective organization.  However, beware of the time parasites.  If you get cornered and don’t have time, just walk away.