Ever feel like the office rumor mill is spinning out of control? Gossip can quietly erode trust, productivity, and team morale, among other things. People are easily seduced into listening to and gossiping about co-workers, business news or anything counter-productive to creating a winning team.
Rumors are a bit like a game of telephone. When the message has finally been passed all the way around, it is probably completely different than the original information, and totally untrue. But how exactly can leaders stop gossip in the workplace? First, let’s take a look at what causes negative talk in the office.
Causes of Office Gossip
There are many reasons for gossip in the workplace, but workplaces with a large amount of gossip usually share these factors:
- Poor flow of information from leadership
- Lack of resources to handle conflicts
- Disconnects between coworkers
- Competitive workplace environments
As you can see, these factors all have root causes related to poor leadership and employee engagement. Luckily, you can take 4 crucial steps to fix your office gossip problem.
How Leaders Can Stop Gossip at Work
Practice Transparency
Make sure to address issues head-on, even if it’s difficult and uncomfortable. Putting the truth out there allows everyone to be on the same page so negative rumors won’t be able to fly so easily. Regularly share updates and company news with employees in an open communication channel to keep everyone informed on company changes.
“Gossip dies when it hits a wise person’s ears.”
-Unknown
Build Emotional Intelligence
Foster empathy, self-awareness, and emotional intelligence. When employees are more in touch with their emotions and feel psychological safety, they’re more likely to relate to others and initiate those difficult conversations instead of bad-mouthing the employee with other coworkers. They also create a more positive work environment by promoting respect and understanding, reducing the triggers for gossip.
Make Leadership Accessible
Similarly to how a transparent workplace decreases gossip, making leadership channels available to everyone can do the same. When employees feel like they can go to leadership for anything, they’re less likely to make a fuss about everything and blame those higher up. Consider implementing an open-door policy so your employees feel comfortable voicing their concerns.
Encourage Teamwork
Teamwork should be a top priority as you work to stop gossip in the workplace because it can connect employees from all departments and walks of life. Try some team building activities to get everyone out of their comfort zone so they can truly understand and enjoy each other’s company. A charity event or gameshow is a great place to start!
Beat Workplace Gossip for Good
Gossip in the workplace is all too common in today’s office environment, but with intentional policies and activities, you can create respect and understanding between all employees.
TeamBonding has 100s of team building activities to help your employees start connecting today!
