{"id":6021,"date":"2018-10-12T13:35:55","date_gmt":"2018-10-12T20:35:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.knowledgecity.com\/blog\/?p=6021"},"modified":"2024-09-17T09:29:18","modified_gmt":"2024-09-17T16:29:18","slug":"office-gossip-toxic-talk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.knowledgecity.com\/blog\/office-gossip-toxic-talk\/","title":{"rendered":"Office Gossip \u2013 Putting a Stop to Toxic Talk"},"content":{"rendered":"

Buzz, buzz, buzz. As you walk down the hallway, you hear what sounds like a swarm of bees. As you get closer, you don\u2019t see any flying insects, just your co-workers talking together in hushed tones. As you approach, the buzzing diminishes until you pass by. Then, it starts all over again. Everyone is familiar with the prevalent phenomenon of office gossip. Most don’t appreciate it but don’t know what to do about it either.<\/p>\n

Should you be paranoid about what is being said? Is it being said about you? That will probably be your first impression, but it may not be an accurate one. Office gossip can range from the innocuous to harmful.\u00a0 It can extend from speculation about a new person starting at the office to the state of the company. How do you know when you\u2019ve crossed over the line?<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/a><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the difference between chitchat and gossip. Gathering around the coffee machine to talk about your weekend camping trip with your kids is chitchat. If the conversation veers into negative, inflammatory or embarrassing information harmful to one or more persons, that\u2019s gossip.<\/p>\n

Consider these situations to check whether the talk is harmful or harmless:<\/p>\n