Did You Hear about Ryan's Peformance Review?

Gossip is a rampant problem in organizations. Some organizations have a very strong policy against it, to the point of someone being possibly fired if caught participating. It can be a cancer that will ruin your team, but even the best people can get caught up in it. Why?

There are a few reasons why participating in gossip is the "easier choice" for people, even if they truly believe it is not a good practice.

Need for acceptance. It's perhaps counterintuitive, because after all, gossip by nature

alienates someone. But for those doing the gossiping, there is some satisfaction in

knowing that someone else sees a situation or another person the same way or has

experienced the same problems with them. In the illustration above, if several

coworkers have problems getting along with Ryan, they may unite in the gossip about

his review.

Desire for information. Gossip can arise when there are holes in communication or a

feeling of "We're not being told the whole truth." People will start to fill in holes by

brainstorming possibilities, and we all know where that can lead. False conclusions or

imaginary scenarios become "fact" as more people hear about them.  “Ryan sure

looked troubled when he left the bosses office. I'm sure the company must be

considering layoffs, and Ryan is the first.”

Feeling of inadequacy. Though we don't like to admit it, deep down many of us are

fully aware of what we believe are inadequacies or weaknesses. When we hear about

the alleged behavior of someone, we feel a little better when we think, "I would never

have done that!" If someone concurs by mentioning the same thing, we feel

particularly validated in our own sense of right and wrong. "I hope they brought up

his frequent lateness. I would never clock in 30 minutes late every day."

The reasons given above do not justify gossip, nor am I suggesting you should simply tolerate it. However, it is wise to consider the "why" behind behavior. What is going on in people's minds and hearts that leads them to speak ill of co-workers or the organization? This can be a first step in helping you develop a more effective way to deal with the behavior.