Four Ways to Politely Avoid Awkward Conversations With Coworkers

By Chelsea Babin

Discussing controversial events, politics, less-than-appropriate personal stories, and other uncomfortable topics with your coworkers can easily turn into a minefield. Want to avoid awkward conversations at work the polite way? Try saying one of these four things.

1. “I respect your opinion but I don’t feel comfortable discussing this at work”

Honesty is always the best policy and, if you want to be direct and polite, this is a great way to go about it. If you want to avoid similar discussions in the future, this is also the best response because it lets your coworker know where your personal line is drawn and they likely won’t broach similar topics with you again.

2. “It’s too early in the morning to talk about this.”

If you want to keep it light hearted while still avoiding an awkward conversation, the old “it’s too early for this” is a great go-to response. Chances are your coworkers will get distracted or busy and forget to bring the same topic up with you again later and you can keep your refusal to discuss a certain topic a little less stern and steadfast, if that’s what you’d prefer.

3. “I heard about that. What do you think about this other story?”

Bringing up another topic that’s less controversial can help you politely avoid an awkward conversation. Think of it as the old bait and switch. You acknowledge the topic they’re bringing up, say you know about it without revealing your feelings about it, and then move on to something you’d feel more comfortable talking about. This keeps the conversation going to help you seem less standoffish and still helps you avoid an unpleasant conversation.

4. “This is an important discussion. Maybe we could pick it up outside of work? I’m swamped right now.”

Maybe your coworker is bringing up a topic that you only feel awkward discussing in the office. If that’s the case, this is a great approach to try! Let them know you’d be happy to discuss it after work but, while you’re in the office, you’d rather get back to work than discuss this potentially controversial or inappropriate topic.

Awkward conversations can lead to uncomfortable relationships with your coworkers. If you’d like to avoid them, try out a variation of one of these four responses. That way you can maintain positive relationships with your coworkers and politely avoid uncomfortable discussions.