How to survive office gossip

For as long as human beings have worked together and lived together in social groups, there has been gossip. Even the cave paintings at Lascaux were probably a form of prehistoric caveman scuttlebutt – “Look how many antelope Grok and Dag claim to have slain last week! I don’t believe it for a second...”

While gossip may be a natural and unavoidable part of the human condition, that doesn’t mean you have to let it ruin your work life. Most people are better off without office gossip. If you find yourself getting dragged into other people’s drama or hearing things through the grapevine that you’d rather not know, here are some ideas to help keep your reputation clean:

• Don’t start rumors: “What goes around comes around.” Resist the urge to whisper behind people’s backs. Whether there’s juicy gossip about the company’s quarterly earnings, your boss’s personal life or a co-worker’s bad performance, try to keep yourself out of it.
 

• Find other things to talk about: If your co-workers are sending the conversation in a gossipy direction, help them get back on track by keeping things professional. “So, getting back to the meeting agenda – what do you think about the next stage of this project?”
 

• Don’t make yourself vulnerable: If you maintain a professional demeanor, show up on time, pull your own weight, and try to make a contribution at work every day, you’ll be more likely to avoid being a target of office gossip. Gossip hounds always attack people who seem vulnerable in some way – if people are questioning your work ethic, sneering at your choice of wardrobe, or tut-tutting about your late arrival to work each day, you’ll be more likely to be run through the rumor mill. As long as your work and your professional comportment are beyond reproach, you can hold your head high.
 

• Don’t fear success: Other than people whose performance seems to be slipping, the other major target of gossip is people who have risen above their previous standing. If you get a big promotion, be prepared for some resentful feelings among some of your former peers who were left behind. Some of them might even start to gossip about you – but try not to let it bother you. After all, look at all the gossip that celebrities have to put up with; sometimes a little gossip is the price of being a star performer.
 

• Don’t ignore gossip: You shouldn’t spread rumors or nasty stories, but you also shouldn’t sit in your cubicle with your eyes and ears covered. Pay attention to what people are concerned about – sometimes the office grapevine can be a more efficient and reliable source of information than the official pronouncements from your company. Is there a certain department that’s going to be phased out? Are there changes coming to your division? Does the new boss have a certain agenda that’s not being openly stated?

If you pay attention to what your co-workers are saying – in a discreet way, without fanning the flames of gossip – you might get some key insights into what is really happening at your company, and find new ways to survive and thrive.
 

Ben Gran is a freelance writer and marketing consultant based in Des Moines, Iowa. He is an award-winning blogger who loves to write about careers and the future of work.
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