How to Handle Office Gossip
Office gossip can plague a workplace if it gets out of control. One of the key problematic issues with gossip is the fact it tends to spread like poison ivy. The itches and uncomfortable reactions of gossip can irritate, or even hurt, those who get caught up in the infectious cycle.
To learn how to handle office gossip, it is important to first understand what it is, how it perpetuates and also how itaffects those involved.
Gossip can be harmful or harmless, but either way it tends to spread quickly. By human nature people like to converse and gossip is one way those who have either everything in common or nothing in common can bond.
Some gossip is malicious while other talk is idle chitchat with no real harm intent. However even if harmless in nature, it can end up leading to resentment, misunderstandings, hurt feelings, wrong preconceived notions and conflict. Not to mention the impact the gossip has on productivity.
The best way to handle office gossip is to stay away from it as much as possible. This way you aren't caught up in the drama, avoid becoming a target and maintain a professional demeanor throughout the workday.
That being said, avoidance isn't always possible and sometimes those who don't engage become the center of attention. If avoidance is not possible, here are some tips to help confront and/or handle office gossip:
- Know the Backstabbers
Like poison ivy, backstabbers should be avoided as much as possible. Learn how to recognize who these predatory colleagues are who slither around looking for juicy nuggets of conversation to twist and use for their own gain.
Even if these individuals are nice to your face but you see them being unkind or gossiping about others, chances are it is happening behind your back too. Do not trust the backstabber or give them any information to talk about, and above all never confide anything to them.
Usually no one is off-bounds for this type of person, they are selfish and carry their own agenda and eventually your confidence will be breached.
- Be Proactive
In most any given situation it is always best to be proactive rather than reactive. Instead of reacting negatively to gossip through outrage or engaging in the talk just to appease colleagues, try reacting carefully and calmly.
There is no reason to react immediately, as impulsive reactions often backfire, but biding time and carefully planning a diplomatic response at the right moment can be very effective. It is entirely possible to remain neutral and yet discreetly express your feelings. Being proactive can successfully keep one out of the gossip loop and at the same time avoid becoming a target.
- Avoid Confrontation and Don't Take the Bait
This is not always possible, but wherever possible, avoid and do not engage in the gossip. Since being confrontational often escalates a gossip problem, it is best to remain even-tempered and rational. When confrontation happens, this is usually the golden ticket to the next go-around of gossip, don't get snared into the trap. If the bait is avoided, the trap can't be set.
Office gossip is often a tricky situation to deal with, however, but keeping out of the circle as much as possible and not engaging, this is often the best approach to not being targeted or drawn into the center of the workplace drama. Avoid contact where possible and when it is not realistic to avoid, be diplomatic and neutral. Engaging in gossip often comes back to harm, especially if it becomes malicious.
Ultimately, you can't control what other colleagues do when it comes to gossip, but you do have control over your own actions. By not repeating gossip, nor starting it, this decreases the problem and as far s you're concerned, the poison ivy roots dry up and cannot itch.
