You can pick your friends but you can’t pick your associates. There is no denying that work environments are hotbeds for steamy gossip, with a gossipmonger in the workplace lurking around. In any case, there is a critical line between innocuous office babble and gossip mongering that powers vindictive bits of gossip.
In the event that you have been a heartbreaking casualty of the workplace chatter’s evil behavior, this is what you should do.
How to deal with a Gossipmonger in the office
If you have a colleague who loves to gossip and has no boundaries pertaining to the same, then this is what you need to do in order to steer yourself clear from the office gossipmonger.
Address the situation immediately
If the office gossipmonger is spreading rumors about you or your colleagues in the office, confront the person in a calm and composed fashion. Do not fly off the handle, but let them know that you are aware of their actions patiently. In the event that they deny the allegations, make sure that you state it firmly that they either stop spreading mindless gossip or you will be forced to take up the case with the authorities at work.
Have a talk with your colleagues
A lot of times, consulting your associates on such matters may help you deal with the situation or the gossipmonger in a better manner. Just like you, many of the other employees may also be adverse to listening to mindless gossip. Seek out such colleagues and come to a consensus that you will avoid the workplace gossipmonger at all costs. Make a pact between yourselves that whenever the gossip-monger approaches, you either tell him/her directly that you have no interest whatsoever in the rumors or else deflect and change the conversation topic. This way, the gossipmonger will have fewer ways and places to spread his/her lies and rumors in the office.
Make way for an Intervention
If your office gossipmonger seems to be incorrigible in his/her actions, plan an intervention. Enlist the help of your fellow associates and have an intervention for the gossipmonger where you tell him/her, as a group, that their spreading of lies and rumors has to come to an end. However, make sure that you put up a calm but firm front so that the person understands the gravity of the situations and strives towards mending his/her ways. The end goal is to give the person an ultimatum to stop their vicious actions and focus on a healthy office environment.
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Lodge a formal complaint with the concerned authorities
In case all of the above-mentioned actions have no effect on the office gossipmonger, then you have no other alternative but to lodge a formal complaint with the concerned authorities. If the office gossipmonger is hell-bent on not mending his/her ways, follow the company’s protocol and report him/her to the HR or your immediate boss.
Understand the difference between a friend and colleague
It is important to be jovial with your colleagues, but at the end of the day, you’re there to work and not make friends. Therefore, make sure that you interact with everyone, but do not resort to gossiping in order to gain new friends. Keep in mind that you do not provide gossip to the gossip monger in your casual interactions since it can come back to haunt you later.
Have an office gossip at work? Did you find this article to be of help in that case? If yes, do let us know in the comment section below!
