| If every workplace in North America (and my guess | | | | 5. Keep a count for 2 days of the number of times |
| would be the other continents, as well) became | | | | you overhear others gossiping. Ask yourself whether |
| gossip-free zones, I am positive that productivity | | | | they are increasing their productivity by doing so. |
| would go up by at least 25% overall. In some | | | | 6. Come up with a way to gracefully and respectfully |
| environments, it might go up by 50% or even more. | | | | tell others that regardless of your behavior in the |
| And, the theft of time caused by this lack of | | | | past, you are making a new choice about gossiping. |
| productivity would be essentially eliminated. So, how | | | | That is, you are choosing not to be part of it. This is |
| can you avoid gossip and help your organization be a | | | | a tough step, but is necessary to change the |
| gossip-free zone? Here are some ideas to consider: | | | | behaviors and culture within an organization. Be bold |
| | | | and assertive--and professional. It is the professional |
| 1. Know what gossip is. A few definitions include: | | | | (and productive) thing to do. |
| "Rumor or talk of a personal, sensational, or intimate | | | | 7. Remember that gossip can ruin business |
| nature" (American Heritage Dictionary); "Idle, often | | | | relationships, whether you're the one gossiping or if |
| sensational and groundless talk about others" | | | | you're the one being gossiped about. It's just nasty |
| (Houghton Mifflin Thesaurus). Hmmmm. Neither one | | | | business. |
| of those sound like this is something you want to be | | | | 8. Ask yourself if the people you know who are |
| engaged in. And it certainly doesn't make anyone | | | | gossipers are well respected. Does gossiping add to |
| more productive. | | | | or detract from your self respect and others' |
| 2. Keep a count for 2 days of the number of times | | | | respect? You know the answer. |
| you engage in gossip, either because you instigated it | | | | 9. Remind yourself that gossip hurts (and never |
| or because someone else did and you listened. Then | | | | helps). Anytime anyone (including you) starts to pass |
| ask yourself if you are increasing your productivity | | | | along a salacious tidbit (or something more minor), |
| (or anyone else's) through this behavior. | | | | ask who is helped or who is hurt by this talk. Adjust |
| 3. Once you have a number of times that you | | | | the conversation accordingly. |
| engage in gossip, then work to shave that number | | | | 10. Calculate how much time you spend in gossiping |
| down for each two-day period in the future, until you | | | | behavior. If you are like other professionals in today's |
| are down to 0 times. | | | | world, you're always looking for a few extra minutes |
| 4. Make a pact with yourself to stop gossiping. When | | | | in the day - and here they are! Just by getting rid of |
| I was a teenager, one of my best friend's parents | | | | the gossip time thief, you can regain 5, 10, 30 or |
| would say, "ZONK!" anytime either one of us would | | | | more minutes EVERY day. Multiply this by the |
| say anything that wasn't nice about someone else. | | | | number of people in your organization who are |
| As teenagers, this was just mortifying, because Mr. | | | | spending time gossiping. Think of the increase in |
| and Mrs. Riley felt free to do this when we were out | | | | overall productivity if you eliminated this time thief. |
| in public, not just at my friend Donna's house! | | | | "There is so much good in the worst of us, and so |
| However, I can still hear her parents' voices | | | | much bad in the best of us, that it ill behooves any |
| whenever I say something negative about another | | | | of us to find fault with the rest of us." - James |
| person. (And let's just say it's been a few years since | | | | Truslow Adams. |
| I was a teenager and leave it at that!) | | | | |
