Whether you’re a manager or a member of a work staff, negative gossip around the office should not be tolerated. Not only does it lower down the morale of the person being talked about, it also affects the team as well. This leads to productivity issues, poor employee engagement, and you might even lose your high performing employees! Below are some tips on how to deal with office gossip.
Know What Gossip to Deal With
There are many types of gossip that circulate around the office. Others are light and harmless discussions, often exchanged during water cooler breaks and don’t really target or single out a person.
Then there’s gossip that deliberately puts a person in a negative light. This is usually done in an indirect manner through innuendos, hints or references, so that the gossiper merely sets the bait while the listener is reeled in until she bites the bait.
Gossip may also be about the company itself and potential changes in management or policies. This could create tension amongst employees, causing them to distrust the company.
Nip it in the Bud!
The first step on how to deal with office gossip is to talk directly with the perpetrator/s and address them individually but discreetly. Help the other person understand the negative consequences that gossiping can bring to the entire team and the workplace. If she is not responsive to your method of confrontation, be firm and inform her that you can take the matter up to management which can possibly lead to administrative sanctions.
Involve the Whole Team
If you’re a manager or team leader, the next thing to do is to involve the whole team. You can insert the discussion about gossip in a staff meeting. Show them how positive and negative gossip affects the workplace. Engage them in the topic and ask for suggestions on how the team can work together towards changing the department culture to a more positive one.
Walk the Talk
Be a role model. Don’t engage in negative gossip, too! If someone attempts to gossip with you, politely inform them that you’re not interested or that you’re not getting at what she’s trying to say or what she’s trying to point out.
This becomes even more important if you’re a manager. Your team will be looking up to you for what behavior to emulate, so start the change within yourself. Once your team sees this, they will most likely change with you, too.
Spread Positive Gossip
Most employees already feel underappreciated, so being talked about negatively won’t do any good at all. You can however change this and boost the morale of everyone in your workplace by sharing positive gossip every day! This can be about an employee who went out of her way to help a customer, or how a teammate helped another with a task. Try and do this every staff meeting until it becomes part of your culture.
How to deal with office gossip is not especially fun to handle, but with these tips, you can try and work your way to an environment with a more positive vibe.
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