One of the bright spots of modern technology is that it facilitates the speed of communication. Unfortunately, there is also a dark side; the same technology has also made it easier for office gossip to infect and quickly spread in the workplace. Whether it involves the latest company rumors or people's personal lives, office gossip is hard to tame. Computer viruses are neutralized with software, but in the absence of "gossip protection software," how can workplaces inoculate themselves against gossip's negative effects? What responsibility do leaders hold?
The Power of the Spoken Word
Words are arguably the most potent tool humans have. They can strengthen and inspire communities, as Martin Luther King did with his "I have a dream" speech. But they can also sow the seeds of hate, jealousy and discord. With his words, Hitler convinced his followers to carry out atrocities. During the Salem witch trials, unfortunate souls were killed based solely upon the spoken word of others.
In our day-to-day lives, the most careless use of the spoken word is gossip. It can ruin reputations, destroy friendships and be disastrous to workplace harmony. And like the virus that spreads from computer to computer, gossip can spread through an office with lightning speed. No longer do people need to use hushed voices to exchange rumors and juicy tidbits of other people's lives. Now anyone can create a "virtual water cooler" via e-mail, instant messaging and Internet blogs. The speed at which gossip can spread makes it all the more dangerous.
Harmless Chit-Chat or Much Worse?
Just as a computer virus interrupts the performance of a computer, gossip wreaks havoc on organizations and work teams. In over 20 years of working with organizations, we've found that the gossip virus is at the root of many corporate maladies. It can sound like this:
~ "Did you hear about Christine's divorce?"
~ "I just heard Terry was reprimanded."
~ "I heard on her last job that she (fill in the blank)."
~ "Have you met the new person? Just between you and I..."
We've all heard such talk around the office, and research shows just how common workplace gossip is. For example:
~ In a recent survey, the American Society for Training and Development reported that 85 percent of people admitted to gossiping in the workplace. Twenty-one percent of them reported gossiping on a frequent basis, while 64 percent admitted to gossiping at work "sometimes."
~ The average employee spends 65 hours a year gossiping at the office, according to a July 2002 survey conducted by Equisys, a business communications company.
"Gossip can ruin people's lives," says Sam Chapman, CEO of Empower Public Relations, who started his own firm after leaving another company where, he says, vicious gossip was endemic. "It tends to snowball because people start projecting things onto the person who's being talked about. If you say something like, 'Joe's not pulling his weight around here lately,' that rumor not only spreads, it gets worse, because everyone will start finding new 'evidence' that Joe's not pulling his weight." Gossip can ruin a person's livelihood or reputation, whether it is true or not.
Why Do We Gossip?
According to a November 2007 survey by Randstad USA and Harris Interactive, 60 percent of respondents named gossip as their biggest pet peeve about their job. If it's so distasteful, why do we do it? The following analogy might help explain.
Several years ago while visiting an open fish market, I heard somebody comment to one of the merchants that he should put a lid on the crab barrel because they were trying to escape. The merchant explained that a lid wasn't necessary because it is the nature of crabs to keep the others from escaping. Whenever one crab tries to leave, he explained, the others always pull him back.
We encountered a similar situation when working with a mid-sized organization to help them improve morale. Turnover was high and the company was losing good talent. Gossip was one of the causes. For example, a rumor had been spread about a woman who had twice the sales volume as everyone else. People had begun saying that she was providing various favors to clients. The rumor was eventually proven to be untrue, but the damage to her career had been done. She outperformed everyone, so her coworkers undermined her reputation. She eventually left the company and wondered why everyone treated her so badly. She never knew.
What Can You Do?
As a leader, what you do and what you fail to do have significant impact upon your work group. Here are some ideas to consider:
Just say no. When the conversation turns to gossip, excuse yourself and walk away. Without wood, a fire goes out.
Be impeccable with your word. Monitor your own conversations with others. Avoid gossip. You will earn followers and admirers (whether you want to or not) because people know you won't talk about them behind their back.
Be loyal to those not in the room. If Mike is speaking negatively about Lori, ask him to stop, and suggest he speak with Lori instead of speaking about her. One group we worked with created a set of team behavioral covenants that included, "Don't speak about our team members; speak with them."
Educate. Hold mini-workshops on the destructive impact of gossip. Remind people how gossip can hurt the work team and the organization. Often, all people need is a gentle reminder. Several years ago we helped an organization develop a short training session on gossip, and the results were remarkable. It was one of most attended workshops they'd ever held. The sessions did two things. First, they gave people permission to stop gossip when they heard it. Secondly, they put pressure on the prime offenders to stop.
Confront the gossiper. Make it clear that the gossip has to stop. If you are the leader, people are looking to you to handle any disruptive workplace behavior. If you don't, you risk losing their respect.
Consider implementing a policy on gossip or adding language to your existing harassment policy. The secret to crafting an effective policy is to ensure that it extinguishes the undesirable behavior while not smothering employee interactions. Of course, policies alone won't work; they turn to dust and smoke when leaders fail to enforce them.
Examine systemic issues. Gossip often proliferates when people have too much time on their hands. If they aren't staying busy, you may need to find out why. Additionally, ask yourself whether people are getting regular updates about the company. In the absence of information, people tend to make it up. Stay informed about company news, and hold regular staff meetings as part of your leadership.
Gossip is a human propensity. Part of being a social human being is to take an interest in what others are doing. Most gossip is done at an unconscious level, by well-meaning people who believe they are just carrying on a conversation. Some gossip is relatively benign but, like a virus, it can maliciously spread. Left unchecked, gossip can lead to low morale, decreased productivity, reduced quality of work, high turnover and unmet customer expectations. As a leader, it is your responsibility to redirect any unproductive behaviors in the workplace. So, go out and lead.