Control Gossip in the Company

By George D. Brown

It's impossible to do away with gossip at work. There is no company in the world where employees don't gossip. As a rule, people discuss their bosses, their peers and the workplace itself. As in a gossip information is transformed greatly, truth can easily turn into lies and the boundary between truth and partial truth can become blurred.

One more subject to gossip about is how much money people earn in the company. Quiet often employees exaggerate their achievements and say they earn more than they actually do. Having heard this, others go directly to their boss and demand a pay-rise.

Another sort of gossip is when people start discussing company issues. This gives them the feeling of belonging to the company. In fact, they only share recent news, and there is nothing wrong with it.

An employer should be very delicate about such matters as employees' private conversations. There should not be the impression that a boss is trying to suppress his / her employees, to deprive them of their right to discuss problems. At the same time, there are cases when measures about gossip should be taken. Here they are:

• Gossip prevents people from fulfilling their tasks at work.
• Gossip bruises someone's feelings.
• Gossip destructs peer-to-peer relationships at work.
• Gossip reduces employees' motivation to work, leads to inappropriate behavior.

If you feel that the issue of workplace gossip disturbs you too often, try to find out what exactly is most actively discussed by employees. Maybe you can change the situation easily: people start gossiping if they lack information. In this case, you should provide them with more information officially. Remember that people may also feel afraid of their boss, they don't feel free to ask if something is true or not directly. One more thing to remember is that harmless gossip may easily turn into harmful, it's always better prevent unpleasant gossip in the beginning, unless it influences the whole company in a negative way.

Don't be afraid of managing gossip issues. It's similar to managing any other unacceptable behavior in a workplace. Coach employees, let them switch from one behavioral type to another on their own will. Initiate a direct manager-to-employee conversation if necessary. If it does not bring any effect, continue with disciplinary actions (for example, verbal and written warnings).

One more important point is to follow your own words and behavior. Avoid hints and double meanings in your statements. Make gossip unlikely to appear in the company.