What Not to Share: Workplace Gossip

How many times have you heard a rumor in your lifetime? Odds are, it’s been more times than you could even begin to count. It can be fun to focus on others’ problems for a while, which is the reason tabloids and paparazzi exist. But, chances are, if you think about someone in a specific way, they’re probably thinking the same thing about you. Don’t you want that to be a positive thing? If you spend 40 hours a week with people you talk trash about, you’re going to be one miserable person.

Negative gossip can exacerbate low self-esteem. Many people spew negative information about others because they have low self-esteem and it makes them feel better about themselves to focus on someone else’ negative traits. This is not lost on your co-workers. They see right through it, and your inter-office respect drops considerably with every negative word you say about someone else.

Gossiping about others can also affect your physical health. Most of the time, focusing on what someone else has that you don’t by putting them down indicates jealousy, which can, in turn, cause mental and physical stress because you want what he or she has and can’t get it. Instead of being bitter, why not seek advice? For example, instead of, “Man, Sidney just got promoted over me, and she doesn’t even deserve it!” you could approach Sidney with a congratulations and ask for some advice on how to follow in her shoes. Backseat your pride for a second and you might just get somewhere!

Not all gossip is bad, however. While negative talk is more likely to make it around the office due to boredom, positive talk takes effort and can really get you ahead. Your co-workers may be surprised to hear you say something great and congratulatory about our aforementioned overachiever Sidney if you were holding out for her job, and chances are that will get back to the head honchos [come on – you know someone in your office (coughDWIGHTSCHRUTEcough) is chatty with the boss(es)]. I highly recommend spreading this kind of gossip, even if you don’t necessarily agree with everything you say. It will make you look like a team player and make your promotion even more likely.

Remember – you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar!