Gossip Is Not Professional

By Deborah O’Connor

Every office has gossip and everyone knows who the perpetrators are.  They seem to revel in spreading rumors, causing trouble, and can be very intimidating. The definition of gossip is “idle talk or rumor, especially about personal or private affairs of others”. What are the causes of this and what can you do to stop it?

• Escalating gossip can be very dangerous. It can be insidious because rumors start to circulate. A gossiper can tell someone something, and by the time it gets to the tenth person, all of a sudden that nice woman in advertising is apparently having an affair with her boss and stealing from the company. Or a simple doctor’s appointment can turn into a terminal illness when there is a gossiper at work. They are sly, crafty, and destructive and they can ruin lives.
• If you are gossiping, you are not working.  Productivity can be greatly affected by gossiping. Some people spend their day going from cubicle to the break room to someone’s office, supposedly ‘working’, while in reality they are spreading rumors. This takes up valuable work time and can be costly to a company.
• Reputations are at stake and you can ruin someone’s life. Destructive behavior is negative and can result in disastrous outcomes. Nobody trusts a gossip, yet they can do irreparable harm to someone’s reputation and their life.
• Gossip promotes jealousy and negative competition. You do not need that in an office environment. A jealous co-worker can be vindictive and negative and put you in bad standing with your boss.
• Pitfalls of being a gossip. If you are a chronic gossip, it will hurt you in the long run. No one really trusts you and you will be labeled a troublemaker. Gossipers are actually very insecure, and spreading rumors and innuendo seems to make them feel more important. You have less chance of being promoted and your reputation will follow you. You can be fired for defamation of character.
• How can you stop gossip? You need to ‘Break the Chain’. Do not let someone gossip to you. Tell them you are busy and have work to do. You can also help by not spreading any gossip that you hear. If someone asks you what you think about a rumor, simply say that you are way to busy to get involved in idle gossip. If you hear any rumors about yourself, you need to go to your boss and discuss it. It could cost you a promotion or even your job. You have that right.

Please feel free to send questions to Deborah at: www.successfulimage.biz.

She will answer them in her weekly column.

Deborah O’Connor is a social strategist and founder and president of Successful Image LLC with offices in Columbia and Atlanta. She offers training and seminars on image management, workplace etiquette, and social skills necessary to succeed in life professionally and personally. Contact at:  [email protected]        www.successfulimage.biz