by Margaret Telsch-Williams

Created on: January 31, 2009

In the world of building and maintaining a business, gossip can be a wrecking ball. It doesn't take much and it doesn't have to last long, but even the slightest amount of gossip in the workplace can become a force to be reckoned with. Not only does it tear away at the spirit of teamwork and focus employees have, but also, it prevents the office environment from being one of function and productivity. If something isn't done quickly, gossip will eat harmony alive. However, there are ways to avoid office gossip traps and create a positive environment for everyone.

A look at what gossip is and what is does is essential to understand how to get around it. Gossip can be as simple as a comment whispered about someone, or it could be a group of people (most of the time the same group over and over) perpetually chatting and inflating stories of what other co-workers did or said. Gossip can be the passing of truth, or can manifest itself as exaggerated stories where statements quickly become misquoted and any actions of the victim are looked at under a microscope. Gossip can cause several negative impacts on a business, some directly and some indirectly; all are destructive.

The key negative effects of gossip are inefficiency, decreases in productivity, break downs in communication, office tension, a lack of cooperation, and a loss of focus on one's job. These can also lead to an increased desire for others to fail as well as a decrease in productivity on the part of the gossipers. Luckily there are ways to avoid gossip and not become a part of the story or the story telling.

First, don't get involved. Find ways to avoid being sucked into the gossip machine, passively step away, actively refuse, or choose not to spread it. Second, call it out immediately when you see it. One of the hardest but most efficient ways to put a stop to gossip is to immediately sit down with the perpetrators and discuss the need for it to end. A consequence of this is that the gossip turns on you. Either you are up for this or you are not. If it doesn't matter to you if they turn, go ahead, get them on task.

Another strategy is to work on team building. Prepare some team building exercises and challenge co-workers to pair up together with someone they are known to talk about. Force them to communicate with each other and find common ground. If there is a common project or goal in mind, turn the focus to that goal. If the associates are driven hard enough there won't be room for gossip but there must be a buy-in to fully bring them into the fold.

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