Office Rumors: Should you participate in gossip among colleagues?
21 November 2014
Read by 2575 persons
Gossip during coffee breaks is relaxing, it creates bonds and it's not very bad. Is that really so? What if, on the contrary, participating in gossip was far from harmless?
When your colleague announces to you at the coffee machine "you don't know what I just learned about the new employee?", what is more tempting than to reply with a gourmand air "no, go on, tell me!" However, this may not be the best thing to do.
Here are four reasons why it is better to refrain from participating in gossip.
First reason: because it can harm others
Under its harmless aspects, gossip is a fabulous weapon of reputation destruction. A few well-orchestrated rumors are enough to permanently harm a person's image. Regardless of whether the rumor is supported or not, it acts by introducing doubt into people's minds. Try saying "don't you find that Paul seems demotivated lately?" and you will see that several people will soon confirm that indeed Paul is not as effective as usual.
Second reason: because it can harm you
Saying bad things about someone is also saying bad things about yourself. By spreading gossip, you don't show yourself in your best light. At best you seem insensitive, at worst you are perceived as malicious, petty or envious. Certainly, gossiping together allows you to have fun, to feel accomplices among colleagues, but this complicity is not lasting because it is not built on trust. Everyone is wary of what the other might gossip about them in their absence.
Third reason: because it can harm your career
It is frequent that gossip reaches the ears of the person it targets, and it is rarely the author who gets caught, it is often one of those who contributed to spreading the gossip. By adding your grain of salt to gossip, you risk putting a grain of sand in your career. The person who learns that you fueled a controversy concerning them will not necessarily tell you, but they will pay you back at the first opportunity.
Evelyne Rys.
Huffingtonpost.fr
Published on November 20, 2014.
Posted online on November 21, 2014.
When your colleague announces to you at the coffee machine "you don't know what I just learned about the new employee?", what is more tempting than to reply with a gourmand air "no, go on, tell me!" However, this may not be the best thing to do.
Here are four reasons why it is better to refrain from participating in gossip.
First reason: because it can harm others
Under its harmless aspects, gossip is a fabulous weapon of reputation destruction. A few well-orchestrated rumors are enough to permanently harm a person's image. Regardless of whether the rumor is supported or not, it acts by introducing doubt into people's minds. Try saying "don't you find that Paul seems demotivated lately?" and you will see that several people will soon confirm that indeed Paul is not as effective as usual.
Second reason: because it can harm you
Saying bad things about someone is also saying bad things about yourself. By spreading gossip, you don't show yourself in your best light. At best you seem insensitive, at worst you are perceived as malicious, petty or envious. Certainly, gossiping together allows you to have fun, to feel accomplices among colleagues, but this complicity is not lasting because it is not built on trust. Everyone is wary of what the other might gossip about them in their absence.
Third reason: because it can harm your career
It is frequent that gossip reaches the ears of the person it targets, and it is rarely the author who gets caught, it is often one of those who contributed to spreading the gossip. By adding your grain of salt to gossip, you risk putting a grain of sand in your career. The person who learns that you fueled a controversy concerning them will not necessarily tell you, but they will pay you back at the first opportunity.
Evelyne Rys.
Huffingtonpost.fr
Published on November 20, 2014.
Posted online on November 21, 2014.
