"The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness."
- Lao Tzu
GUILTY PLEASURE OR HATEFUL HABIT?
Though rarely talked about, office gossip has taken on new dimensions, especially in this high-tech age. It is becoming a dynamic toxic force that is under-mining working relationships and careers.
Left unchecked, gossip can destroy an entire organization.
For many employees, gossip can be a guilty pleasure. Although it occasionally provides insight into and understanding of the nuances of office personalities and colleague relationships, it more often than not hurts the individuals involved and damages the organization.
Negative talk about others can color our judgment of people and alter our relationship dynamics. It makes us all less genuine and more superficial, affecting our ability to bridge the gap between our differences.
Is gossip a personality trait?
There’s a long-standing defense of gossip offered up by many: “it’s human nature," or "it's just a part of an employee's personality.” This approach is flawed, and we will never win the war of words if we rationalize the problem. It fails to take into account the effects of gossip in the workplace, and the harm these words can do not only to the person being talked about, but to everyone directly or indirectly involved.
A closer look at the damage gossip can do to a workplace, and the relationships within it, can help dispel the idea of gossip being just a “personality quirk” and show it for what it really is: a serious, potentially devastating problem that needs to be addressed.
for a happier more productive workplace, please contact us to book a seminar for your office today.
