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In the U.S. we celebrate Thanksgiving in November. I am grateful for my bounty of family, friends, clients, and associates I have in my life. I recognize I must treat everyone with the utmost care and respect which includes.no gossip.
Gossiping is a part of everyday life. It spreads like a virus and produces both good and evil in all of us. When it's positive, it spreads valuable and useful information. When negative, however, it spreads harmful and often irreparable rumors about people and situations, including people we care about. |
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These simple tips will foster and build a healthy work and home environment. Practice them on a daily basis.
- If you don't have something nice to say, don't say it! Remember this old saying your grandmother probably told you? This truth continues to transcend all time. If the gossip you want to share isn't complimentary, think twice---even three times---about whether you dare repeat it. Then don't.
- When you have something to say, say it directly. It's easy to talk about someone when that person is not around. Whenever you get the urge, stop. This act alone will help curtail the gossip virus from spreading. Instead, if it's something of real concern, arrange a time to approach the person one-on-one to share your views in a sensitive manner.
- You are either part of the problem or part of the solution. You are part of the problem when you disagree with a co-worker, or don't like a management decision and you vent frustrations, anger, and displeasure with other co-workers. This behavior only causes more harm than good. If you must vent, do it with someone uninvolved, such as a spouse, close friend, or mentor.
Then when you are calm and collected, talk to the person you disagree with one-on-one with respect and courtesy.
You are part of the solution, however, when you kindly yet firmly excuse yourself when in the middle of a negative, mean-spirited conversation. State you are not interested in being a part of such conversations. When the situation happens during a business meeting, politely ask the person to please refrain from such comments. If the person persists, leave the meeting.
For more on this subject, see the attached link to read a case study, "How to Completely Eliminate Office Gossip (Yeah, right)" by R. Summerhurst and J. Talbott. The tips section is particularly valuable and provides an excellent overview of how to keep the office gossip virus from being an epidemic in your life.
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