365QOD- Day1277

Overcoming Oversharer Challenges

"Management would be easy if it was not for the people."- title of a book by Patricia J. Addesso

In the last six posts I discussed the six types of Oversharers.  These posts were based on a Wall Street Journal story Office Oversharers: Don’t tell Us about last Night by Sue Shellenbarger.  Let us review the types:"

Blunderer-          Misses social clues that conversation is not welcome

Narcissist-          Sees and shares every detail of his/her life as important or interesting

Patient-               Uses the office to vent and analyze personal problems

Storyteller-         Talks endlessly about almost any topic

Worrier-              Relies anxiety through nonstop chatter

True Confessor- Tends to blurt out the first embarrassing personal experience that springs to      

                             mind"

If one pulls back and just looks at the definitions, you quickly see key words:

misses social clues

shares every detail

vents about personal problems

talks endlessly/nonstop chatter

blurts out embarrassing things

One can see someone coming to see you and exhibiting these types of oversharing.  The dynamic that it sets up is one in which the sharer can not recover from.  As they say in many cultures, "...the person lost face..."  Literately, one can no longer see the person for what they are- they can not see their face.

We have all at one time or another exhibited these types of team busters.  I believe that the key is to ask yourself if there is value in sharing the information to that person.  It might make us feel good to get it off our chest but it might serve no purpose to the other person.  That little pause before blurting out the information could save many of work relationships and miss-perceptions.

Today's question is:

"How do you stop yourself from being an Oversharer?"