How to Survive Workplace Gossiping

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Gossiping is one of mankind’s favorite pastimes. It is also the oldest form of spreading nasty or exaggerated information about a person, a group of person, and organizations. Many companies have defined policies against gossips due to its negative effects to the overall operations of the organization like lost employee productivity, waste of time, abrasion of morale, paranoia, destruction of working environment, divisiveness among employees as people “take sides” and worst, it may also lead to office cat-fights.

There are many reasons why employees are so involved in gossips and one of them is jealousy. There is a saying that “an empty vessels make the most negative noise”, employees who love to spread rumors against fellow co-workers are usually the non-performers in the organization. Therefore, they are jealous on employees who are performing well in the company. It is their way of grabbing the spotlight and the attention from everyone.

Gossipers are usually the “strategist” but most of the time they are technically the no-brainers. They are individuals who are blind to see the good qualities of a person but rather centers on other people’s faults. They are dangerous to be with because the last thing you’ll know, he or she is already spreading negative rumors about you.

Below are some tips on how to survive gossips in your workplace:

• Stay away from negative people and gossip mongers. There is a saying that birds of the same feathers flock together and being associated with these people will only attract negative vibrations to your already complicated career. Employees who are lazy in performing their functions are usually the gossipers in the workplace and management are not happy to see such herd in their organization. If you still want to keep your career, then channel your attention away from these types of employees.

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• Confront the gossipers. If you are being victimized by an absurd and preposterous gossip in your workplace, find the source and confront them diplomatically. Set the records straight right at their face. However, most instigators when confronted will always deny that they are source of the grapevine.

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• Eye for an Eye. Sometimes we have to fight fire with fire. If confrontation is no longer effective, reveal some dreadful and devastating truth about the gossiper. Let them have a dose of their own medicine.

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• Stand Tall. Workplace gossipers are spreading lies and rumors about you because they will gain something by defaming you. So stand tall and show them you’re not affected by their lies. Let their hate and lies eat them up inside and sooner or later it will become lethal and will stain all the people around them.

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• Walk the Right Path. If you live your life righteously, gossipers will have a hard time in defaming you. Also, righteous people do not have time to discredit others because they believe that gossiping is an unethical business.

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Being attacked by a malevolent gossip and propaganda can be a very hurtful experience. But as long as you believe that you have not wronged yourself and other people, the idle rumors and vicious remarks will eventually dissolve like water. Gossipers cannot put a good man down.