by Jay Roland

Created on: November 11, 2008   Last Updated: December 08, 2008

The words flash up on your computer's message screen or they creep up over the wall of your cubicle. Or maybe you're just trying to enjoy a Cobb salad at lunch with a couple of co-workers when it strikes: Office Gossip.

You swear you're not going to get involved with the drama in your workplace, but let's face it, a juicy story is hard to resist. And if you know something no one else does, well then you're the center of attention with a secret screaming to be shared. But let's remember that this isn't high school and office gossip, while sinfully enjoyable at times, is more often annoying, counterproductive and at its worst, the kind of thing that can get you fired or sued.

If you're a manager, you're doubly challenged because office politics and scheming exists at the highest levels of any company, but you're tasked also with keeping those under you from letting gossip de-rail morale and hurt productivity. The business communications company Equisys researched office gossip in 2002 and found that, on average, 65 hours per year is wasted by employees gossiping about the workplace. Multiply 65 by the number of your employees and the grapevine can suddenly look like it's about to choke the life out of a workplace.

So here are some tips you can follow and pass along to those who work for you:

Newly hired? Stay neutral.

One of the biggest mistakes a new employee or manager can make is forging alliances without first understanding the existing office dynamic. The friendly guy who takes you to lunch and happily answers questions about office personnel and procedures, may be just the guy you want to keep at a distance, because all that eager help he's offering could mask an agenda to get you on "his side" in any office drama.

It's a shame, really, that you need to be a little suspicious of everyone, but in time your good judgment will help determine who can be confided in and who needs to stay an arm's length away.

Don't do anything that generates gossip.

This sounds obvious, but if you want to stay out of the gossip spotlight, don't get drunk at the office Christmas party, don't flirt with everyone (or worse, sleep around with your co-workers), dress appropriately, respect the workplace and yourself, and don't bring your personal life into the office. If you're going through a rough divorce, don't saddle your co-workers with every new detail. If you're hung over, don't brag about how much you drank the night before. This is an office, not a fraternity house or a therapy

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