Have you ever been a victim of gossips or may be have challenges dealing with rumormongers at work? Well, you should not be worried because you are not alone. Studies have shown that one of the main reasons why employees leave jobs is the inability to withstand gossipers. Running away from problems does not solve it, but having a strategy can help you achieve desired results.
Gossipers will always try to use other people’s stories to seek attention. Women are known to be good when it comes to gossiping, but statistics have shown that both men and women have a weakness for keeping secrets. In this article, we will focus on some of the tips to help you deal with gossipers. But before we address that, let’s look at why people gossip and the impact on the organization.
Why employees gossip
- An unethical or improper way of disseminating information
- Rumors
- Promoting gossiping especially by senior employees
- Leaking confidential information to the wrong parties
- Insecurity or seeing other staffs as a threat
- Poor organizational culture
Impacts of rumor mongers to organizations
- Kills employee relationships
- Kills employee morale
- Reduces productivity
- Kills organizations culture
- Increases employee hostility
How to deal with gossipers
- Don’t take part
The reason why rumors spread so quickly is because most people take part. Giving gossiper no attention at all can scare them from spreading the rumors. When they spill the beans, just try your best to keep the story by yourself. Do not share with others. Sharing is promoting gossiping and before you realize it, you will be a victim.
Do not let gossipers ruin your work reputation or drain your energy telling you juicy stories. Cut them short and tell them that you are not interested.
- Deal with the rumor
Giving rumor mongers no attention is not enough to keep them or restrain them from spreading it. And a good way to handle the case is to confront the gossiper and warn them on the impact of spreading rumors. Even when it’s not about you, it’s not good to ignore because the next minute the gossiper will be talking about you.
- Be professional
Rumormongers will always pretend to be close to you, but their main reason is not to be friends with you but to interrogate you smartly to get the information they need. Just because you attended a private meeting does not mean you tell everyone what the meeting was all about.
You may end up sharing sensitive information that may cost you your job. Learn how to keep confidential information.
- Keep your personal life personal
Most employees like sharing their life achievements or challenges with their friends at work who end up spreading the rumors. Having friends at work is not bad, but know whom you share your stories with.
- Report to relevant authorities
If warning the gossipers doesn’t work and appear ignorant and feel that the rumors may impact your job reputation or affect your productivity or morale, it is a great ideal if you report them.
- Know your role
Spending more time fighting back rumors will drain much of your energy and reduce your productivity levels. This can eventually result to poor performance especially when you realize you have a lot to be done and you are running out of time. Always stay focused and give less attention to things that can impact your concentration levels.
- Don’t let gossip make you a slave
Never be a victim of the past. Learn how to forgive and move on. The fact that your co-workers talked about you does not mean you keep grudges. Keeping grudges can increase hostility and can lead to conflicts. Remember you were hired by the organization to work and you have responsibilities.
CONCLUSION
Fighting gossipers can be at times a daunting task, but with the right strategy, we can conquer this organizations killer called rumor mongers. Hope the above tips will help you fight gossiping.
Have you ever been a victim of rumor mongers? How did you handle the situation? Please share your experiences to help someone who maybe in need.
Also read: How to deal with toxic bosses