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There's always going to be office gossip. Who went where after hours. Upcoming changes in the company.

The problem is that office gossip can slow down productivity for everyone. But how do you avoid it?

Here are some suggestions for working with a gossip:

1. Don't engage in the conversations. If you know that someone is a gossip, make it a policy to not share the juicy details with them and try not to get caught up in wanting to know. In other words, keep in mind that you're at work to work, not to get the scoop.

2. Work with others in the office to implement a "not about me without me" agreement. When people bond together and suggest that no one is talked about without their being present at the time, it's easier to keep the rumors at bay and it is less likely that feelings will be hurt.

3. Don't share information that isn't commonly known. Go ahead, talk about what was in an office memo. But if few people know, it is better to keep the information to yourself than to share it with someone who might spread it around.

4. Don't share details about your own life that you do not want to have spread around. Just because you are careful to only share the story with one person doesn't mean that the word won't get to the office gossip and make its way to everyone else's ears.

Working with a gossip is never easy. But that does not mean that you need to engage in it.

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