How can I politely ask for someone to be quiet for a bit in a conversation when I need to take notes or read something?
Often in work-related conversations, I’ll need to read something, or write notes, or even mentally process something. I’ll say something like “Can you give me a moment? I need to take notes/read something/etc.”
It usually works well when it’s just notes, but for some reason, when I’m reading something, people see it as an open invitation to talk about something else. They usually understand not to continue with the ongoing discussion, but they’ll just talk about whatever else is on their mind.
Is there something I could say that would make it clear that I need silence for a bit, but wouldn’t come across as rude or an invitation to chat about something else?
u/StaleTheBread — 6 days ago