NEW YORK (AP) — Stephanie Joseph was working at a television station when someone started a false rumor claiming she and a married colleague were romantically involved.
asserted
she → work → rumor
Joseph, then 20, barely knew the man in question and didn’t hear the gossip until a producer told her it was circulating.
“I’m thinking to myself, this is crazy,” she recalled.
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she → know → myself
So that made it even more insulting because I thought, ‘I’m friendly with these people.
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I → make → people
Don’t they know my character?’”
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they → know → character
Details about the private lives or behavior of other people have a way of buzzing through workplaces.
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Details → have → workplaces
Gossip can damage the reputations of both its subjects and the people spreading it, who may come to be seen as untrustworthy.
uncertain
who → damage → it
While those downsides are widely known, sharing the latest rumblings at work can also have benefits, experts said.
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experts → know → benefits
Whispered warnings about managers or colleagues who engage in abusive or problematic behavior may help coworkers avoid painful experiences, for example.
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coworkers → engage → example
Gossiping can also increase cooperation and foster a sense of belonging in the workplace, said Rebecca Greenbaum, a professor of human resource management at Rutgers University who studies workplace gossip.
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who → increase → gossip
Many people gossip out of a need to connect with others who get their experience, and sharing sensitive information is a way of showing vulnerability and caring, she said.
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she → gossip → vulnerability
“We need each other, right?” Greenbaum said.
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Greenbaum → need → other
“For survival reasons, we need to know who we can trust.
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we → need → who
We need information, too, that’s helpful to us to figure out who to stay away from.”
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that → need → who
Workplace experts and people who have experienced gossip explain when it helps, when it hurts and how to disengage without damaging professional relationships.
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it → experience → relationships
Talking about someone else’s behavior at work is sometimes essential
Context and intent matter when evaluating the value of gossip, said Stephen Lee, assistant professor of management, information systems and entrepreneurship at Washington State University.
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Lee → talk → University
Gossip is often a sign of an overlooked or ignored issue that organizations need to address, he said.
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he → overlook → that
“One of the motives that we see a lot is this desire to warn or protect someone else, like ’Hey, watch out for this, I want to give you a heads-up about this person,’” Lee said.
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Lee → see → person
The person receiving advice like that may be grateful and more inclined to assist the messenger down the road, he said.
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he → receive → road
If information is conveyed to caution colleagues about something serious, tell someone who’s in a position to solve the problem, such as a human resources representative, said Bev Vitali, leadership and capacity building fellow at the Tennessee Nonprofit Network.
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Vitali → convey → Network
“It becomes more proactive at that point where we’re going to actually make a case to help this situation,” Vitali said.
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Vitali → become → situation
Venting may help keep emotions in check and build camaraderie on the job
Talking with a trusted colleague about an upsetting or aggravating interaction with a manager or coworker gives people a way to manage difficult emotions and to get support at work, Lee said.
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Lee → vent → work
“It can give someone a greater sense of control over the situation,” he added.
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he → give → situation
Dispensing timely updates about someone can sometimes contribute to a better working environment.
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Dispensing → dispense → environment
For example, sharing that a coworker is in a bad mood may cue colleagues to stay out of that person’s way for a while or to act exceptionally nice, Greenbaum said.
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Greenbaum → share → while
Gossip doesn’t have to mean communicating bad news or negative views.
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Gossip → have → news
Colleagues can share endorsement-based gossip, saying they really liked what someone did even though that person isn’t there to accept the praise, Lee said.
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Lee → share → praise
Productivity and reputations may suffer when water cooler chit-chat takes over
Choose carefully whom you gossip with and how often because becoming known as someone who constantly dishes may cause coworkers to lose trust in you.
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coworkers → suffer → you
“When it comes to your personal brand, it’s all about trust and credibility,” said Mariah Humbert, an etiquette and image consultant based in New York City.
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Humbert → come → City
“And if you are constantly engaging in negative talk or in gossip, that would be at risk.”
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that → engage → risk
Vitali recalled participating in gossip at a former job amid rumors about a potential merger and layoffs.
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Vitali → recall → merger
She remembers feeling less productive at work when engaging with the rumor mill.
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She → remember → mill
“I found myself spending a lot of valuable work time talking to my colleagues about ’What do you know?
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you → find → What
What have you heard?
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you → hear → What
What’s going on?’” Vitali said.
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Vitali → go → ?
Watch out for post-gossip hangovers or highs
How you feel after participating in gossip can indicate whether the encounter was helpful or harmful.
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encounter → watch → gossip
Ask yourself whether you’re spreading gossip for entertainment and be thoughtful about repeating something that could be damaging, Greenbaum suggested.
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Greenbaum → ask → something
“Who are you gossiping about?
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you → gossip → Who
Is it deserved?
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it → deserve → ?
The rate of severity: is it super-severe gossip that’s really going to make the person look bad, or is it a little bit more on the mild side?” Greenbaum asked.
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Greenbaum → go → side
“If you do get the guilt and shame reactions, pay attention to those because it might suggest to you that you’re not actually living up to your own moral norms.”
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you → get → norms
…and 13 more, not listed.
The Aporia
