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With a small office, open cubicles and chatty
co-workers, inner-office gossip is bound to happen. It can be a fun distraction
during a stressful work day to exchange stories churning in the rumor mill. But
this bad habit could end you in hot water. When gossip comes up in conversation
at the office, be mindful of these few points to avoid getting caught up in
workplace gossip.
Be aware.
Gossip is defined as “casual
or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically
involving details that are not confirmed as being true.” But gossip isn’t always that obvious. To help you determine if
you’re participating in harmful rumor spreading, consider how you would feel if the
person you were discussing heard your conversation.
Have a strategy. Create and commit to a strategy for steering the conversation away
from rumors. Try to subtly change the direction of the discussion by asking
your co-worker how their weekend was or what big project they’re working on.
Stay positive. Gossip is almost always negative which creates a toxic work
environment. When comments come up, it’s important to stay positive. By
countering the gossip with something productive, you diffuse the negativity and
stay out of the drama.
Stay focused. It
can be disruptive to your workday and even affect your performance. Try not to
get sidetracked by gossip; it won’t serve your overall path to success. It may
seem like a harmless rumor but by participating in hurtful gossip, you could be
risking your job and even career.
Don’t perpetuate rumors. Spreading the gossip that you’ve heard is just as bad as starting
it in the first place. Rumors can only end when those they are shared with refrain
from repeating them.
At the end of the day, gossiping at work just
appears unprofessional and immature. Staying out of inner-office chatter will
benefit you by increasing your credibility and trustworthiness while helping you
avoid harmful drama.
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