Negative office gossip can cross the line into harassment and bullying, leading to high turnover rates and poor team morale. Photo: BetterUp.
No organisation is without its dose of office politics, and in most cases it is harmless and even beneficial, but Emily Douglas warns that when the talk turns toxic, fast action is needed.
To quote the late, great George Harrison: “Gossip is the Devil’s radio.” Even so, that doesn’t stop it being a staple part of everyday life.
As a society, we love to talk. In fact, research from podcast technology company Captivate found the average person spends 40 minutes a day gossiping.
We revel in hearing secrets and telling tales to friends – and, for the most part, it’s all just harmless fun. However, when we start bringing gossip into the workplace, the ramifications can be toxic.
Negative office gossip can cross the line into harassment and bullying – leading to high turnover rates and poor team morale. Here are some ways to confront and dispel toxic office gossip in your organisation before it goes too far.
Dust off your office policy book: Negative gossip presents itself in many different ways. Often, it’s so underhanded that it’s nearly impossible to detect. However, the repercussions can easily be seen in a morale and productivity nosedive.
Once someone brings the issue to your attention, it’s important to act fast. Start your internal investigation by looking into your organisational policy. If the gossip is disparaging, it could constitute bullying – which is, in some cases, cause for termination.
However, if it’s just general griping, then the issue could stem from recent leadership mishaps.
Pinpoint the underlying cause: Once you’ve uncovered the problem, it’s time to don your deerstalker and pipe, and discover the root cause.
Rather than gossip about their peers, employees normally target their anger at seniority. Research has found the majority of gossip is directed towards the management team, followed by the chief executive, then clients and, worryingly, their HR department.
What’s sparked this sudden miasma of negativity? Has there been some controversial hiring or firings? Did the pandemic upend bonus structures? Has HR become even more stringent in its monitoring practices?
Once you start digging a little deeper, the real reason for the bad vibes will become clear.
Try a coaching approach: It’s tempting to call out the gossiper and confront them publicly, but that really won’t resolve the issue. Instead, pull the person aside and ask them if there’s anything they’d like to discuss with you. Tell them you’re concerned there’s been a negative atmosphere in the office lately, and ask them their thoughts on the cause.
Keynote speaker and author Eric Termuende recommends managers acknowledge the negative aspect of gossip “either as an observer or as a listener”.
“This presents an opportunity for us to have an important conversation before any toxicity spirals into a dangerous situation,” he says. “If that conversation starts veering off in the wrong direction, politely suggest that we switch gears and try being a little bit more constructive.
“When it comes to confronting office gossip, there’s a rude way to do it and there’s a polite way. As a leader, it’s your job to stay professional whilst still tackling the issue head-on.”
Boost your communication: Negative office gossip is often caused by stress, anger and frustration, rather than a desire to ‘’be difficult’’. As such, it’s important to invest more time and effort into ramping up your communication strategy.
The pandemic led to remote working and hybrid models, but it also sparked something of a communication lull. Employees want to know what’s happening within the organisation; they need to know that leadership is being transparent, so be preventive in your measures.
Have an open-door policy, and hold regular town halls and weekly team calls to gauge the general feeling in the organisation. Whatever the nature or cause of the gossip, it’s important to address the problem and not sweep it under the rug.
What begins as a small murmuring of discontent can quickly spiral into all-out revolt. It’s incumbent on you to get to the bottom of the issue, to keep spirits high, and foster an environment of open and continuous communication.
Emily Douglas has a wealth of editorial experience, having written on human resources, people management, strategy, and technology since 2015 after studying at both University College London and the University of Geneva. This article first appeared on the Key Media website.
