Gossip at work is like an untreated infection. The longer it is left alone, the more difficult it becomes to eliminate, and the harder it is to heal.  Everything from passive aggressive notes left on refrigerator doors to  interactions between employees which create divisions and make everyone feel uncomfortable create an unhealthy work environment.  When Gossip at work spreads,  employees are not happy, productivity suffers and the workplace is not motivated.

Unpleasant work environments are the number one source of poor employee morale. And as everyone knows, employee morale is a tremendous factor in the success of any organization.

We like to poke fun at complaintive notes posted on refrigerator doors at work. They’re often written in anger, with  exclamation points, and later can be read for a laugh. But basically they point to a communication failure. And if we’re totally honest, how many of us are guilty of  spreading gosssip at work, leaving notes or writing a hurtful email?  The next time you are upset at your co-worker or boss, think twice before spreading rumors or sending covert emails.

People don’t realize the damage that is often done to work relationships when employees do not communicate in a constructive manner.   It often takes years to ever trust again.  Can you imagine working in an enviroment 8 hours a day where you do not trust the person who sits next to you? Don’t let this happen to you or your workplace. You can stop gossip at work.

When someone tries to gossip with you, you can:

• Walk away.
• Change the subject.
• Directly state, “I’m not comfortable talking about __________.” or “Let’s hold off talking about Mary until she’s here,” or “This not something I feel comfortable talking about with Joe in the next room.” Your co-workers will be caught off-guard, but chances are they will change the subject.
• Directly state, “I don’t like talking about other people because I don’t like them talking about me.” That’s a conversation ender for sure.
• Reply, “I hadn’t heard that about __________. Let’s go ask him/her.” (Watch a gossip disappear when you say that. Gossips are notorious cowards and dread confronting their subjects.)

When someone is gossiping about you, you can:

• Go with the direct approach. Say something such as, “I heard that you’ve been saying the following about me.” Then briefly summarize what you have heard. Next, say, “While I wasn’t there to hear you, I would appreciate your coming to me directly with any questions or comments rather than talking with our coworkers/friends/family/etc.”
• Go with the indirect approach. Say something such as, “I don’t know if you’ve heard the rumors going around about me or not, but they’re really disturbing. If you hear of anyone talking about me, I would appreciate it if you would ask them to stop.”

If you are a manager or team leader, it is important to teach your staff on the importance of stopping gossip fast. I would love to hear what happens after you stop gossip at your workplace!