LeMonique

Good-bye Gossip

It lurks in every office: Gossip! Genuine concern for a co-workers wellbeing can quickly turn to speculation and hearsay. Suddenly you're swept in a conversation about someone's personal drama, while your boss is eyeing the pile of work accumulating on your desk. As tempting as a juicy morsel of gossip can be, it rarely feels fulfilling when you let yourself indulge. Ultimately, gossip leads to damage relationships.

Use these tactics to get off the gossip train at work: Be a good listener, but not a confidante. Don't ask a gossiper questions that encourage the topic. Don't take sides. People feel important having informations that others don't. They spread rumors of others to build alliances of "us" versus "them". That usually backfires. Avoid lingering in hot zones. You know: the kitchen, bathroom or lounge. And don't use gossip as a break in your daily routine. Give up E-gossip: Anything you e-mail at work, can be read by management. Emulate someone whose professionalism you admire. If you have a free moment, use that time to do something positive for yourself, or better yet, for someone else!

Live and learn: "If you're talking about others, they are likely talking about you too"!