It is in corporate environments that you normally see a lot of gossip mongers at work. They spoil relations, taint names and get ahead in the game. If you are particularly troubled by such people in office, here are some ways to tackle them.
Ignore the gossip
If you are not the type to get pleasure out of gossiping, the best way to deal with office gossip is to ignore it and carry on with your work. Even if you happen to listen to the gossip, you can do your bit by not spreading it further. Listen and leave it at that. This is the best way to handle it as it will not make you a part of the gossip. Ignoring gossip sessions completely may not be a good idea when you are in a corporate environment. This is because of the simple reason that many office goers use gossiping sessions as a way to connect and stay friendly. This is a harmless way of having some fun time and relaxing after a particularly stressful day. Staying away from such sessions will make your colleagues label you as a difficult person to get along with. So stay tuned to gossips, but do not take the gossips further or joke about it further.
Seek clarification
If the gossip is tarnishing your name or the name of a colleague that you hold in high esteem, or if it is something that is affecting your work ethics or performance, it is important that you seek clarification to avoid spoiling your name. Confront the person who is spreading the gossip and ask if he/she is aware of the truth behind the gossip. Tell the person that you intend to find the truth about the gossip from the targeted person. Ask the gossiper to furnish details about its clarity. In most cases, the gossiper will back off when he/she finds that you will attach his/her name as the gossiper while speaking to the targeted person. This way, you not only discourage the gossiper from spreading false stories again, but will also avoid gossiping with you as he/she has already understood that it is difficult to convince you and impress you with false stories.
Inform your disinterest
Many people who engage in gossip love to taint othersâ names. So they go to every possible extent and add spice to the stories that might have some truth in it. Gossipers need people with similar interests to keep the facade and fun alive and if they find that a particular person is not interested and willing to spread the news and enjoy the false stories, they will most probably leave that person alone. So if you do not want to be part of the gossip gang in your office, just express your disinterest. You can either be direct or drop hints by showing your disinterest and avoiding such gossip sessions so that people exclude you from the gang and no longer trouble you with malicious and fabricated news. However, it makes sense to keep yourself aware of what is in circulation just to ensure that gossips about you too donât reach your ears. Be in touch with someone you can trust in the office so that you get a general idea about whatâs going on behind the curtains.
Avoid gossiping time
Gossip always happens when there is less work and more free time to relax and chat. If you are the boss and have caught your subordinates gossiping all the time, a great way to deal with it is to give them more work and prevent them from being idle. Keep them under your strict supervision if the gossips being spread are becoming difficult to digest and tainting the name of good employees in the company. You must also avoid spending time gossiping even if it is just to get along with your team members. Keep the gossip time minimal. You can be there to listen and move off when the gossiping becomes more intense.
Take action if the gossip is malicious
If someone is spreading malicious gossip about you or others, it is time to take stern action against them. You can report the matter to the HR department and give the details about what is being spread. Personal gossips can ruin your career and work relations and must be curtailed before the gossips become worse and difficult to control. Ensure that you have identified the person who started the gossip before lodging a formal complaint with the HR department or involving the management in it. Before you do this, it helps if you can talk to the person involved and give him a stern warning. Give him adequate time to mend his ways, failing which you can go ahead with your plan to make things public.
