Gossip and How it Holds You Back at Work

We like to hear the scoop, the dish, ...the dirt.

Well, that's probably where we need to distinguish between a conversation that fills you in on what's been happening and a conversation that has intentions to diminish, harm or malign someone else. If its dirt then we already suspect it's not well intentioned.

Workplace gossip isn't going away.

And, frankly, you need to be in the know. When you're not in the loop on who's saying and doing what, then you tend to also get overlooked for assignments and opportunities. You may make short sighted decisions because you didn't have all the insights and facts.

The thing is, you don't have to be, nor need to be, in the know about people's personal choices: their love life, their fights, or their finances.

That's the sort of thing we hear in whispers around the office.

Yes, too, we hear about which leaders don't get along and what plans they're making.  That type of information can be helpful in your progress and strategy.  Be aware of the intention you have when asking about, listening to, or repeating it. Intention can be the critical difference in news vs gossip.

You do need to have a good line of understanding about the people you work with and those who report to you. Because knowing them is caring about them. And caring about them takes you a long way on the road to being an intentional leader.

You should know about their family, their general health, what's going on in their life. That will help you interpret their engagement and decisions. You can guide and coach them better.

That information should also be private, unless they've asked you to share it with someone. Let people tell their own stories.

Sharing personal and private details, running straight to others to tell them about the argument you witnessed in a team meet, saying "did you know" to just about anyone ...those are all stop signs you should honor. Pause before you share the info.

Gossips at work are often popular people. You know you can call them and get the scoop. They're also generally well known and leadership thinks twice about assigning them. 

Be mindful of how this impacts the plan you have for progress at work.

And when you're a leader, be mindful that you have the responsibility to protect and keep people's information private. When you know something because of the position and role you hold, it's even more important for you to pause and question whether you should share any details.

Learn more in this video.