Office gossip is a major area of concern that impacts on a respectful workplace. It can range from harmless chitchat about a colleague’s experiences coaching Little League to mean-spirited remarks about an individual’s alleged drug use. Left unchecked, gossip can feed disrespect and rumors that contribute to a distrustful and conflict-ridden workplace. Mutual respect among employees then grows into an all-consuming problem.

In addition to gossiping about one’s personal life, employees often whisper about work-related rumors that typically focus on layoffs, office relocation and other potentially big news. Murmurs about such serious developments can prove so distracting that performance plummets. (Note that any respect video or videos on respect in the workplace must address this phenomenon of how individual employee behaviors actual erode respect at the workplace.) 

Through your actions, you can create an environment that shuts down malicious gossip and promotes a more respectful workplace. It’s not enough to rise above gossip and not do it yourself. You need to go a step further and stop it in its tracks. This is called being a change agent.

When you hear others spreading rumors, speak up. Lecturing others rarely works; they may resent your policing their behavior. A better tactic is to redirect them with friendly questions or comments such as “Can we talk about something important—like where we’re going for lunch?” or “That reminds me of something funny…” This does make an impact on helping employees change. The one exception is when the gossip is so malicious that you must confront it by saying, “That sounds like a rumor to me” and walk away.

If the rumor involves the head of the marketing department (for example), depersonalize the conversation by asking a related question such as, “Speaking of marketing, what do you think of our company’s advertising campaign?” Look for openings to shift the discussion to more substantive issues and you will foster trust and teamwork. The end result is a workplace respect that begins to become part of a positive work culture with mutual respect more obviously a value everyone in the workplace possesses and supports.

TIP: If you’re privy to sensitive information, rehearse with your supervisor how (and if) you should communicate it to others. Then stay “on message” so that you consistently state the same point using the same language. This works better than improvising each time and possibly revealing too much or making a misstatement.

IT’S TRUE: While managers can take steps to prevent rumors by opening lines of communication with all employees, the ultimate responsibility lies with you. You can quell gossip by leaving the room or changing the subject.  

TRUE OR FALSE: It’s okay to engage in gossip if you ask yourself, “Would I be willing to tell this face-to-face to the person I’m gossiping about?”

[FALSE: That’s like looking for an excuse to indulge in gossip! The moment you give yourself permission to talk about others behind their back, there’s no guarantee that you’ll stick with positive, non-threatening observations about them. It’s more likely that you will eventually say something that would prove hurtful to that person.]