How do I stop office gossip as a manager?

How to Stop Workplace Gossip

Maintain an open-door policy. If you want to be kept in the loop, your employees need to know you want them to come to you with their concerns.
Provide clear and candid information quickly.
Address workplace gossip swiftly.
Share praise.
Clarify individual roles.
Lead by example.

Can a manager ignore gossip in a department?

Managers who ignore gossip can destroy a department. But, when needed, gossip management starts with a serious talk between the employee and the manager or supervisor.

What’s the difference between a rumor and a gossip?

Rumors vs. Gossip. Rumors are pieces of information or a story that has not been verified. What this means, is that the person telling the story does not know for certain if it is true or not. Most of the time, people who spread rumors do not bother to determine if there is any truth to what they are saying.

Is there such thing as gossip in the workplace?

Susan Heathfield is an HR and management consultant with an MS degree. She has covered HR for The Balance Careers since 2000. Gossip is rampant in most workplaces. Sometimes, it seems as if people have nothing better to do than gossip about each other. They talk about the company, their coworkers, and their managers.

Why do people spread rumors about other people?

People share gossip without any thought of how it might impact the person it is about. There are a variety of reasons why kids will spread rumors or engage in gossip. But most kids gossip or spread rumors to fit in with their friends, as a way to feel special or to impress others.

What should a manager do if someone is gossiping?

A good manager can help a gossip overcome that, by turning that impulse to gossip into a productive talk between co-workers. “We can solve so many issues if we just directly and tactfully address an issue with the person with whom we’re upset instead of talking about it to the other people,” says Hakim.

How does gossip and rumors affect a person?

Consequently, kids who are being gossiped about are negatively impacted. For instance, gossip and rumors can destroy a person’s self-confidence and affect their self-esteem. 1 It also can lead to depression, suicidal thoughts, eating disorders, anxiety, and a host of other issues.

Can a supervisor take the fall for gossip?

Gossip and the problems it causes can also affect supervisors themselves. If supervisors have someone in a position higher than them, the supervisors may have to take the fall for any performance or morale issues their teams are experiencing due to gossip. As you can see, gossip really affects every part of a business and everyone involved.

Why does an employee gossip all the time?

For example, if the gossiping employee tends to badmouth the performance of co-workers, it may be because they’re upset over someone not pulling their weight. “A lot of times, gossipers gossip because they don’t directly approach the individual who’s bothering them,” says Hakim.