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josie · Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2007 4:36 am Post subject: Gossiping At The Office

Gossiping at the office can be a way of making the environment more friendly and easygoing than having a tense atmosphere where little interaction occurs. It is almost a proven fact that those who are at ease in their work environment are capable of performing better and getting their work done faster. But where does one draw the line between gossip and normal work chatter? When does office talk become inappropriate?

There has to be some chatter in the workplace. People who talk about their personal lives at work with others make co-workers a part of their life away from work. In many ways co-workers can become an extension of one's blood family. And being at ease with each other does make an environment easier to work in for all. Freindships grown at work can make the business thrive and make it more resistant to outside issues that might affect the integrity of the company. The subject of office chatter being inappropriate comes up when the content of the talk crosses into topics that might offend others. This can include gossip about a mutual acquaintance or another co-worker.

Gossip may be intentional or an accident. Sometimes a malicious individual purposefully starts a line of gossip and hope that it reaches the target person. This can be a complicated form of gossip, as much more gossip can be woven off of one thread fed into the gossip machine. In this instance someone can wind up quitting or the result may be a severe altercation. At best the boss might intervene and settle a dispute, much like a parent calming down children. This is a common type of gossip but the most frequent source is something overheard and is accidental. A word spoken out of context can be misinterpreted or repeated, and the result can be an unintentional mess in the office environment.

Watching what is said at any time in the work environment can keep gossip from happening. The smart employee knows to speak about select topics and be mindful of anything work related that is being discussed. Some tips to stop yourself from being part of the gossip process:

1.Watch what you say about your personal life. If someone really wants to start a rumor about you, they can. Be careful of what fuel you feed the fire.

2. If you hear something about someone, it is fair to let them know what is being said behind their back. Wouldn't you want to know?

3. When others are gossiping, either remain silent or walk away. Choosing to not join in can be hard, but contributing to it is even worse.

4. Let others know that you do not think malicious gossip is appropriate.

When in doubt, getting the boss involved if someone is getting hurt can be a good idea. It really depends on what kind of boss exists in the working environment, but most do not tolerate the childish behavior of employees. Most bosses welcome employee productivity but not distractions like gossip.

http://www.cvtips.com/survive_office_politics.html
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ank06 · Expert Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 247 Career Advice: +1/-0

Lol....good one, josie.

The truth is that you cannot escape this "virus" (it is a virus, you know?) when you work in an environment with many people. It is inevitable. It is a way of relaxation if you ask me. Taking some moments to speak about one or another. Of course, like any other thing in the world, this should have limits. The moment one goes beyond those limits, we enter conflicts, envy and so on and so on.

Me, for example, I like the little chit-chats about my boss Very Happy

But I have a compact circle in which I "perform". I mean if a word goes out, we'll find out zap! just like that

lexa10881 · Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 2:07 am Post subject:

Yeah, we have an environment like that too. There's a small group of us who get secluded from all the rest, and an even smaller group from that. You can only trust certain people at work, and it is important to be careful who you trust. Been there, done that, had a very uncomfortable chat with the boss after the 'virus' had evolved and went her way. There's better ways to earn a three day suspension. Cool

jbrooks197 · New User Joined: 30 Aug 2006 Posts: 6 Career Advice: +0/-0

Yes, I try to avoid gossip that turns in to character assassination. I am a good listener and usually try to give the person the other person's perspective. I sometimes even say I don't like to talk about people if they aren't here to defend themselves. I'm one of those people that everyone seems to confide their personal issues/problems in because I keep it confidential. I have a lot of life experience with dealing with problems having gone through a lot of my own that I created lol. I speak openly and honestly with everyone I meet. What's my point? I guess it's just that gossip is usually not a good thing, going around telling everyone's business is a good way to become labeled as not to be trusted.

julian · Expert Joined: 20 Sep 2006 Posts: 255 Career Advice: +2/-0

jbrooks is right....

Disadvantages:

- you'll find out some things but you will not be considered a trustworthy person.
- waste time
- accumulate bad energy
- get into useless conflicts
- not learn anything
- get back-stabbed because you have revealed your weaknesses

http://www.cvtips.com/types_of_difficult_people.html

Somebody else come with the advantages

Laughing

lexa10881 · Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:56 am Post subject:

I don't know why, but I always tend to associate the gossipers with the image of a jealous child trying hard to get a parent's attention by misbehaving?! Don't know why...

I don't think many gossipers realise the serious disservice they do themselves by behaving as they do. The boss is not oblivious and they note who is dependable, and that also includes "dependable" in the sense of being able to keep quiet and do your work effectively.

There are better ways to get noticed than by being a part of the office gossip circle.

http://www.cvtips.com/get_noticed_at_work.html

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