Inspiring Workplaces 
The Way Work Ought to Be!

#1,023 - May 29, 2024

Workplace gossip is cited frequently in surveys as a major soul-sucking, morale-destroying phenomenon. Some research suggests that it tends to be employees who feel isolated, powerless, or insecure that gossip the most.  

And hey, I get it! People have gossiped since Thog walked Sally-Ann back to her cave. And some people enjoy gossip - they feel powerful when they share something they think they know and people on the receiving end feel like they are now part of the insider's club. 

But know that workplace gossip can be incredibly harmful to your culture - it can lead to distrust, hurt feelings, and miscommunication. Here are a few strategies that might help curb gossip in your workplace. 

• Gossip loves a communication vacuum, so open and transparent communication is a gossip killer. 
• Have a "rumor mill" section in your meetings where people can bring up work-related rumors in a safe, playful way by having them open with, "Word on the street is...".   
• Flip negative gossip on its head by practicing "possip": Spread only positive gossip behind each other's backs. 
• If most of the gossip is coming from only a few individuals, have a conversation with them to find out what's driving their penchant for gossip and explain the often unseen and unintended consequences of their gossip. 
• Implement a "Talk Directly to the Person" rule the way Netflix has, where, if an employee starts talking about another employee, everyone learns to stop that person in their tracks with a polite, "Sorry, I can't help you with this. You need to speak directly to Thog about this."