How To Avoid Gossiping at Work
It is essential to develop friendships at work. Cordial and friendly relations with colleagues go a long way in enhancing productivity. One is blessed to have friends as the presence of a friend lets you vent out and move on in line life to focus on work. However, there is a thin line between venting out and gossiping at work. One shouldn’t really cross it. While gossip at work is unavoidable and one does end up doing it, however, one can look for professional ways to stop gossiping at work. Let’s first define what is gossip at work and how to avoid it.
What is Gossiping at Work?
Spreading false information about colleagues, teams, projects, the company, or your boss or discussing someone’s personal life without their consent or knowledge would amount to gossip at work. It can occur during a casual conversation between coworkers or on social media platforms. To maintain your professionalism at work, try to walk away from situations that might involve gossip at work.
What is a professional way to stop gossiping at work?
Who doesn’t enjoy gossiping at work; everyone does. However, we all know that it is not healthy for our own mental health and productivity. As much as we would want to avoid gossip at work, we end up indulging in it. Here are some tips and professional ways to say stop gossiping at work to yourself and others.
1. Confront it
You will always have someone or the other who will be gossiping at work. As much as you may hesitate to tell someone to stop gossiping, you must do so. Needless to say, you should do it respectfully. However, you could be curt, indirect, or use humor to communicate your point depending on the relationship you share with the person or the person’s sensibilities. In either case, it is best to be upfront and ask a person to stop gossiping than to either indulge or crib about it.
2. Move away
Sometimes, due to our own diffidence or respect for the position, we are unable to verbally stop someone from gossiping at work. However, there are non-verbal ways as well to communicate your message. As soon as you think the chat is turning into a gossip session or you have had enough of the gossip, walk away. When you do this repeatedly, the person who is doing it will get the message. Either he or she will avoid gossiping at work in your presence or probably stop doing it altogether.
3. Substitute it
Some form of light-hearted interaction is definitely required from time to time. This may not necessarily involve gossiping about someone at work. You can substitute your gossip sessions with something more meaningful like discussing work or hobby-related ideas, current world or economic affairs, sports, etc.
4. Refocus
Another great way to avoid gossip at work is to divert your attention elsewhere. Use the time to catch up on emails, and phone calls with friends if need be, discuss with a colleague or your boss a new project, or anything else that you deem fit. The objective is to pay attention to activities that matter more and will be fruitful for you in the long run.
5. Define and communicate your boundaries
It is never wrong to set expectations before others. If you are someone who doesn’t appreciate gossip, you must set your boundaries and communicate them as well. It is totally okay to do so proactively. However, it would be best if you kept in mind that you do so with due respect and in a subtle manner. It is not advisable to outrightly go and announce your boundaries without any provocation as it might harm your interpersonal relations.
These simple tips can help you be professional while telling others to stop gossiping at work. Try them as per the situation while ensuring you don’t lose respect for the one you are trying to communicate with.