It’s a fact of life: We like to talk about each other. Most of us are curious to know the "who, what, where, when, why and how" of a situation, whether it involves finding out the latest news on a local teacher’s strike, the antics of your favorite celebrities or if your coworker is going to be promoted.
While you can turn to a local newspaper or Entertainment Tonight to feed your curiosity about the first two examples, the last one requires more diplomacy: In the workplace, there’s an important distinction between "bad" and "good" gossip. Bad gossip, for example, might include revealing your knowledge of a coworker’s wild escapades at the last company function. This type of information, which has no bearing on the person’s ability to do the job, could harm his or her professional reputation. On the other hand, sometimes you have knowledge about a coworker that will cause others view him or her more positively. Such good gossip might include letting others know that a colleague has put in extra hours to complete a project on time.
Knowing when to halt bad gossip and spread the good is a valuable skill to possess. Following are some examples of when to talk, when to keep it to yourself and how to stop the chatter from going too far.
You’re Fired! It may not have been Donald Trump who delivered the news, but you trust your coworker when she says the creative director has lost his job. It’s common knowledge that this person has been underperforming for quite a while, and his office appears to be empty, but there has been no formal announcement about his departure. While every workplace has an underground network through which information of this sort travels, it’s best wait to share the news. If this person hasn’t been fired, it would be damaging to his reputation—and yours—to tell others that he’s no longer with the firm. Even if you’re right about his departure, there may be a legal reason your company hasn’t yet announced the news. If you were collaborating with this person on a project, consult with your supervisor about the proper course of action.
Dating Dramas. Your coworker pulled you into her cubicle first thing this morning to tell you that Katherine the copywriter was seen having dinner with Len in legal. What should you do with this information? Nothing. While news of this sort is particularly juicy, avoid the temptation to repeat it. Your coworker’s reading of the "date" may be completely wrong. Even if she’s right, it’s none of your business what employees do in their spare time. Unless one of the individuals manages the other—or you think their personal interactions affect your job in some way—keep the information to yourself and encourage your colleague to do the same. Your efforts will help to turn a potentially negative story into a non-story.
A Death in the Family. Your coworker lost a parent and, after a week off of work, is back in the office. Only a few people know of her loss, but others have been curious about her sudden departure and have been asking you for insight. In a situation like this, it’s best to take the lead from the person who experienced the loss. When a family member dies, one person may want to talk to everyone within earshot, while another may prefer to grieve in private. Let your colleague bring it up as she sees fit.
Still, you can use gossip in a positive way in this scenario. For those in the office who might be curious about what happened or wonder why your coworker is so unsocial, it’s usually fine to tell people the individual has suffered a loss. This piece of very general information should help everyone be more understanding when interacting with your colleague without your revealing information he or she may want to keep private. It’s also good to gently remind people to allow grieving persons to bring the topic up if and when they’re ready.
The "Promotion" Game. The office is abuzz about a recently vacated senior designer position. You and three of your colleagues want to the job, and the official word from management is that it will be awarded to an internal employee. This has been the only official word, however. The remaining news has been unofficial conjecture among colleagues. Your best move is to steer clear of the guessing games and focus on your work. If you truly want the job, feeding the gossip around who might be awarded the position won’t help your case. Companies tend to promote individuals who are not only talented, but also able to diplomatically negotiate office politics. This is your chance to demonstrate the latter skill. When coworkers ask you about the open position, be straightforward and honest with your answer: "I have no idea who will get the job, but I assume whomever it is will be well-qualified."
News From the Top. Imagine this scenario: Without explaining why, your supervisor asks everyone on her already-overwhelmed team to take on extra projects. But your manager confided in you, explaining that her boss gave out the extra assignments and they are top priority. While your manager took over most of the tasks, she had to assign each member of the team one, too. Sharing this information with your colleagues would probably be doing everyone a favor, as long as your manager didn’t ask you to keep it to yourself, of course. Staff will be more understanding, and she won’t have to contend with resentful employees.
Keep in mind that workplace information must be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. In general, there isn’t one rule regarding gossip except for this: Never spread negative or malicious news. It will hurt both the person you’re speaking of and you when people assume you lack tact and professionalism. Instead, hone your diplomacy skills by "using" gossip to help—rather than hurt—the reputations of those with whom you work. You’ll build a positive reputation for yourself in the process.
The Creative Group is a specialized staffing service placing creative, advertising, marketing and Web professionals on a project basis with a variety of firms.
