How to handle gossip in the workplace
Office gossip is the informal communication between colleagues in the workplace about the private and personal life affairs of other people. While many employees know that gossip should not be done in the workplace due to the many implications it has on teamwork, it is still being carried on due to lack of harmony and integrity. The process of gossiping may begin with partial truths but as the story gets retold, slanderous comments are added which introduces falsehoods and a brand new speculative truth. With that, read on to learn graceful and effective ways on how to handle gossip in the workplace before it becomes toxic.
Techniques to eliminate gossip in the workplace
When employees start to gossip with each other about a co-worker they all despise, they are creating a group that can destroy your company’s morale. In addition to that, productivity in the workplace is significantly decreased if these employees are given the opportunity to hang out for the purpose of hating a co-worker. Here are some techniques on how to hand gossip in the workplace.
Use a Workplace Coaching Approach
Once you have gained news about on-going gossip in the office, start to employ the workplace coaching approach to the entire team that is concerned. This type of coaching teaches employees to be committed to themselves, the company they work for as well as the service they render. Great management knows how to promote thinking and behavioral shifts to its employees. One of the most effective ways to establish self-commitment is by feeding the employees feedbacks on their importance to the company because of their best self. With employees having self-commitment,
they will be able to deliver their best fit, talents, and skills that will significantly increase workplace productivity.
The Process of Progressive Discipline
When an employee fails to uphold the preservation of company morale or denies to correct their behavior after being given coaching as well as enough time to adjust, then the management must take stricter actions. Repeated behavior that affects performance should never be tolerated in the workplace. If you are hesitant in firing an employee due to being undermanned, you are further putting the entire team at risk of failing. With that, the process of progressive disciplining is necessary to prevent employees from committing insincere actions.
While most companies have progressive corrective action processes in place, they are not highly effective because the management may not be keen on communicating the problems with the employee. There are many factors why the process is not accepted by many employees. One of which is that a process or system can significantly upset the norm because there are no established examples for old employees and adequate training for new hires. With this, a communication channel can alleviate or patch the gap between employees and management.
Friendly ways to deal with coworkers who gossip
Teaching your employees on how to handle gossip in the workplace is another course of action you can take to prevent speculative truth from spreading around the office. Take note, you can change the entire office by teaching one employee at a time. Here are some of the friendly and effective ways you can teach your employees in dealing with a gossiping co-worker.
Learn About What Constitutes Gossip
More often than not, people gossip because they are insecure about themselves and they see the other person as a threat to the position they are aiming for. Other people who poke fun at their co-workers or spread rumors could also be caused by the person’s incompetence at work. Nevertheless, educating your employees about the kinds of gossip can be a great start to prevent a toxic culture in the office. Here are the kinds of gossip commonly shared in the workplace.
- Other people’s personal and confidential information
- Slanderous comments and false information
- Rumors, ridicule, and humiliation
Keep Your Private Life Private
While it cannot be totally avoided as it is natural for humans to share their feelings or be exposed to others due to their situation, teach your employees to keep their personal life sharing to a minimum. Take note of the gossipers in the office, expect that they will be gossiping about you if you hear them gossiping about others. Employees who love to gossip have found sanctuary in gossiping. It has become their safe zone and they will continue doing it until they are satisfied with themselves. With that, teach your employees to be careful who they share their personal lives with.
Dealing with the Issue Not with the Person
One of the most important lessons that you must coach your employees with is the action of approaching a co-worker in a graceful manner. Some employees find it hard to confront their co-workers for the fear of receiving more hate. Which is why some of them end up quitting their jobs. Others raise the issue to HR but often the disputes are not really resolved. With that, it is best to teach employees how they must deal with the situation.
To confront co-workers professionally, it is best to deal with the issue and not the person’s attitude. Leave the person’s behavior to the HR, your job is to let them know how you feel towards the gossip and what you wish to be done about it.
Anticipate gossip and establish harmony within the workplace with Teamstrr!
If you are looking for ways on how to handle gossip in the workplace and put an end to the deviant activity, you must first determine the root cause of such activity. Is it because there has been an on-going competition for promotion? There are plenty of reasons why falsehoods start spreading in the office.
One of the most reliable ways to find out how an employee feels about their work, their co-workers, and the management is with weekly or bi-weekly reflections with Teamstrr. Today’s generation of workers find solace in sharing their feelings through social media. Teamstrr is similar to the interface of other social media platforms. With that, your employees will feel more confident in expressing themselves through writing. Click here to learn more!