Do You Know How and Why to Stop Gossip in Your Workplace?

 Do You Know How and Why to Stop Gossip in Your Workplace?

The Challenge:  Gossip happens in most work places unless you have a firm program to make sure people don’t spread rumors about their co-workers.

Why Should You Care:  Gossip may seem harmless, but it’s corrosive. As anyone who has ever been the subject of a smear campaign can tell you, gossip hurts, resulting in lower morale and some people exiting the organization. Gossip can be a classic time-waster, and may lead to more serious claims of bullying, harassment and defamation. Also, gossip sometimes causes the discloser of your organization’s trade secrets or leaks of privileged information about customers or clients.

The Effect on Teams:  If you are trying to build an effective and cohesive team, gossip can cause a breakdown of such efforts. People take sides, rumors abound and the targets feel isolated, destroying whatever progress you may have made.

What Should You Do?

Eliminate gossip with these three steps:

1)  Set the Ground Rules:  When you take on a new group or add new people to an existing team, let them know that you do not tolerate gossip or rumors. Educate them on the dangers of this kind of talk or email and remind them that they certainly wouldn’t want anyone gossiping about them.

2)  Walk Your Talk:  Make sure that you don’t engage in careless talk and enforce your rule against gossip if you hear it with meetings and consequences.

3)  Speak with the Perpetrators:  If gossip or rumors reach your ears, act quickly to meet with the individuals or groups involved. Don’t equivocate.

Say something like:

“Team, it has come to my attention that someone has been spreading rumors about Mary’s private life” (assuming that everyone knows the rumor is about Mary). Or, “It has come to my attention that someone has been spreading rumors about people’s private lives”… or the company’s trade secrets or clients.

“As you know, this kind of gossip is unacceptable, and you can expect consequences.”

Then be sure that you follow through with consequences for the talkers, if you know who they are.

Follow up with the target of the rumors to see if they need anything else in order to work successfully with the team. If things seem more serious, consult with HR or your legal counsel. For more tips about how to handle gossip, go to: Gossiping Workers

What Do You Think?