More harm than good from gossip
Gossip in the workplace is very common.
Everyone knows that. But, what many people, including many managers, do not acknowledge, is that workplace gossip causes a great deal of harm. It does not only negatively impact the people who are talked about, but it can eat away at the whole organisation.
Some of the obvious results of gossip include:
- Lost productivity and wasted time;
- The erosion of trust and morale;
- Increased anxiety among employees when rumours circulate without any clear information as to what is fact, and what isn’t;
- Divisiveness tends to grow among employees as people may “take sides”; and
- Feelings and reputations are hurt, sometimes causing severe damage.
A 1994 large national survey by the American Society for Training and Development found that 64 percent of people said they gossip at work “sometimes.” More than one in five admitted to being a “frequent participant” in workplace gossip. And there is no real reason for thinking that there has been any change over the years and probably there is no difference between the US and Australia.
So what can you do, if you feel there is too much gossip in your workplace? Well, one of the initial things to do is to ask your supervisor to discuss the issue of gossip at a team meeting (e.g., how it's unprofessional, how it's detrimental to workplace morale, how it's a distraction, how you're all a bit old for that sort of juvenile nonsense). This is a very good first step for there are no names and no accusations. And unless you sit there gloating and glaring during the meeting, it's unlikely that your unit gossips will find out that it was you who suggested the topic of discussion. After all, they've probably said something nasty about everyone at one time or another, and their list of likely suspects will be pretty long.
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Managers and supervisors can tackle a gossip problem in a number of ways. |
First, when people approach you with gossip to share, make it clear that you aren’t interested in hearing it. This can sometimes be slightly awkward but there is nearly always a way of excusing yourself and getting away.
Second, make it clear to staff that gossip is not appropriate in your department. You can do this at staff meetings through firm but gentle “announcements.” Explain the damage that can be done through gossip. However, you need to walk the talk. If you want gossip to stop, you must stop participating in it.
Third, improve communication about workplace issues. Gossip (or sometimes grapevine information) tends to occur when there is a vacuum of information. In the absence of official information, people speculate, or circulate rumours. By keeping staff better informed and being more open about workplace issues, you can remove the need to create false information to fill the gap.
As an employee you can go a long way towards eliminating gossip from the work environment by one specific strategy:
- By refusing to listen to complaints that you can't do anything about, and to conversations that don't directly affect you.
In most cases, gossip and rumours start with a complaint about something or someone, or a conversation about a person or issue that doesn't directly affect you. Some people complain to almost anyone who will listen. In fact, so many people are willing to listen that the complaint grows rapidly.
The positive benefit of this strategy is that very soon:
- People stop dumping their complaints and concerns on your doorstep;
- Precious time is not wasted, while people wonder and worry about things they can't do anything about; and
There is no time and energy wasted on feeling guilty about participating in gossip or spreading rumours.
