Staying Away From Office Gossip

Staying away from office gossip is a challenge wherever you work, and ministry is no exception.

There are work assignments that feel like a nagging fly, buzzing around the office, loitering at your desk and making itself at home. In spite of the discomfort of handling those nagging tasks, there is another bug that’s even worse – Office Gossip!

Dealing with office gossip can be a major distraction that hinders team productivity 

Most people spend at least 8 hours at work. Co-workers eat lunch together, celebrate holidays in the office, travel together, and often communicate after work hours. It’s understandable how the relationships at work can become personal. As beneficial as work relationships are, the business relationship is different and requires  boundaries and caution.

I recall being in a meeting discussing an upcoming management position. One manager recommended a hard-working employee who was dedicated and exceptional in her work. She was an excellent candidate for the position. Another manager, responded, “You know she is going through nasty divorce, which could be a huge distraction.” Then another added, “That’s right, I don’t believe this is a good time for her to take on additional responsibility.”

I tried to defend her, knowing that she needed the additional income, but the damage was already done. Too much talking about person issues opened the door for office gossip and a lost promotion.

The young lady fueling the gossip, but that’s still not excuse. Her mistake doesn’t make the gossip right, but she make it eay.

Here are Steps 5 For Staying Away From Office Gossip.  

“Be careful about sharing too much of your personal story in the office.”

We all appreciate being heard. Effective communication is a huge factor for task management and project completion. But, some personal situations should be discussed with personal friends instead of office associates. I know, some people in the office are friends. But be careful and discerning when sharing your precious life pearls with business associates (and some personal friends too).

 “Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you.” Proverbs 2:11

“Manage how and when you share your great ideas.”

In a working environment, it can be beneficial to offer your creativity and great ideas. Seek to share at a time when you have an open door to be heard. The goal is for you and your company to benefit from what you are offering, not to argue and create discord. Use your great ideas in a timely manner to grow in your career and become confident in your ability.

“Don’t participate in the gossip. Try to stop it as well.”

If you offer encouragement and a good listening ear, people will want to talk to you. When a conversation goes from healthy communication to  unhealthy gossip, move the conversation to another subject or just tell them, “This conversation is not right, let’s change the subject.” Sometimes, you can even shed a positive light on a situation. Remember, if a person comes to you to talk about someone else, they will also talk about you to another person.

“Create a boomerang.”

Whatever is being said about someone else, turn it around with a surprising response. For example:

• “I don’t see a problem.”
• ” I did the same thing.”
• “How can we help her?”
• “I’m not comfortable with this conversation. I would hate for someone to say that about me, wouldn’t you?”

“Be honest with the person who everyone is discussing.”

This option only works if your honesty can help the person. Sometimes, a person really needs help or they might be innocently unaware of an issue. In that case, they need a friend to be sensitive and find a gentle way to confidently communicate and help resolve a problem.

Dawson McAllister (The Hope Line), in his post called, The Dangers of Gossip, compared gossip to “personality theft.” Another post from W2W Link, “The Dangers of Workplace Gossip,” describes gossip’s destructive ability in the workplace. The goal at work is to help create an office atmosphere where everyone can thrive in their work and career. The environment should be conducive for creativity to flow while work output is optimized. Managing office gossip is a huge step in reaching that goal.

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