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October 6, 2010
Office Gossip Girl
 It's 11 a.m. - coffee time. As you fill your cup, you see her: the break room gossip, slowing stirring some creamer into her mug. You know you should scurry back to work, but can't help being intrigued when she says, "So, did you hear what (insert office wild-child here) did last night?"
Eighty-four percent of executives cited gossip as a common activity at their offices, according to a recent survey. Furthermore, 64 percent of those executives agree that it has a negative effect on the workplace.
"I don't think there is anything more poisonous to a work culture than gossip," says Beth Leone Noble, a partner at the Raleigh law firm Leone Noble & Seate. "Bottom line: you cannot tolerate it and the minute it rears its ugly head, you have to be prepared to stop it, even if it means letting an otherwise valuable employee go."
There's a fine line between casual banter and harmful rumors. Whether the gossip comes to you from a friend or seeps out of your own mouth, avoid it altogether by asking yourself whether or not the practice actually benefits anyone else, suggest the consultants at Business Training Works.
Bosses who create supportive work environments – those centered on teamwork – take vital steps to eliminate gossip.
Some firms go so far as to officially ban gossip amongst employees. To adopt such a policy, all workers can enforce proactive communication strategies based on personality assessments.
Bonus PINK Link: Find out how one boss ensures cattiness will never plague her business again.
By Jennifer Gambrell
"Some say baseball is our national pastime. Not me. It's gossip." Erma Bombeck
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Comments
Walk the fine line
Agreed that office gossip can be very toxic – and I think it’s unrealistic to think we can ban it or get rid of it completely. Human beings like to connect in this way and connecting with co-workers is an important part of successful teamwork. The problem comes in when it becomes negative and no longer fun, but harmful. If a manager or workplace fosters an environment of respect, *especially by modeling that behavior, that is one of the best first steps to take. There are studies that show that water cooler talk can actually boost performance, for example when co-workers talk about a problem client they’re having, they come up with a solution by talking it out. So simply pay attention to the topic and tone of the conversation you're having. We all know when conversation turns from productive to counter-productive; we just don't always listen to that voice inside of us that's telling us to stop. It’s just like lying on your resume; you know when you are crossing a line-don’t do it. When it comes to office gossip, err on the side of caution. Stay away unless you know it’s a safe conversation.
Gossip at the water cooler/Trick or Trick for UNICEF
Hey out there --- rememeber when you were a kid and you trick-or-treated? research says that 1 out of 10 Americans not only collected candy, but also Trick-or-Treated for UNICEF... they carried those little orange boxes and collected change for UNICEF to provide services to children around the globe. Well --- its still happening and even as an adult - you can still help! You can get a box from any TOYSRUS or BABIESRUS store or from the UNICEFUSA.Org website... put it on your desk or even next to that gossip place water cooler! Instead of trading gossip - save lives! $1. buys enough good clean water for a child for 40 days! 40 days! each and every day as we go about our lives 22,000 children die of preventable causes - 22,000!!!! I don't know about you but to me that is just unacceptable. I drop change in the one I have at home each night when I kiss my own kids goodnight and wish them sweet dreams. I know there are 22,000 moms each night wishing they could trade places with me... So join us!