by Shaheen Darr

Created on: November 11, 2008   Last Updated: December 21, 2011

Working amongst a group of people with different personalities can leave you exposed to gossip traps. Before you get trapped in saying more than you should or become part of the office gossip yourself, here are some warning signs to look out for:

The "friend"

The majority of us all have come across that one person at work who seems to know all the gossip about the office and while listening to it you end up talking about your own life to this person. This carries on until you find out a few other people seem to know your business too! This person is usually quite friendly and uses this personality trait to his advantage to get information out of people. His friendliness can be mistaken for trust but be wary and do not fall in this trap because being friendly does not necessarily equate to being trustworthy. 

Did you hear the latest?

Recognize the warning signs when you hear lines like "Did you notice how Mr. Jones was behaving with Sally?" or "Mary stays quite late in the office doesn't she?" These comments are said with a glint in the eye or a smile that indicates that you do not know half of what really goes on in the office. From that point on the seeds of suspicion are planted and you will never see Mr. Jones, Mary or Sally in quite the same light anymore. Next time you listen to such unfounded comments its best to just ignore them or tell the person spreading them that you are too busy and just do not have the time to listen. They will soon get the message and look elsewhere to spread those rumours. 

The way to the top

Seeing a fellow employee progress to the top is always top gossip. How is she managing to achieve this success and who is behind it? There is always someone who will fuel the gossip fire and tell you stories about what they think she has done to achieve that success. It is best to take such rumours with a pinch of salt and never to repeat them to anyone as you will only harm your own reputation. We all know that those who talk about others must talk about you too. So beware this trap and stay well clear of them. 

The boss, his life (and wife!)

This is the gossip that employees find most interesting as it shows the boss at his most human. Usually fueled by someone at the office who has been introduced to his home and private life and these are leaked to the rest of the office. The culprit could be his assistant or his PA who gossiped about it to her friends in the office and the friends passed this information to other employees.

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