How can gossip in the workplace be good? When has gossiping with co-workers ever been beneficial for anyone? Believe it or not, some forms of gossip can be helpful for both employees and managers.
Gossip between coworkers can create trust between them. Gossip can help employees feel comfortable with their surroundings and coworkers. Engaging in gossip will create camaraderie and make people feel welcome in their place of work. Gossip can establish a trusting relationship between two people. You are taking a chance on someone and trusting them not to talk about sensitive information you are sharing with them. A newcomer can develop trust through office gossip. For someone who is new to the workplace, gossip can help integrate them into the coworkers’ circle. Listening to the gossip can also establish an understanding of what is acceptable and not acceptable.
Motivation For Others
Sometimes positive office gossip will acknowledge the efforts of other employees. Positive gossip being communicated can result in other employees stepping up to the plate to do better with their jobs responsibilities. In contrast, negative gossip can get employees concerned about being the topic of gossip . This concern can then turn into motivation for an employee to push them to avoid being the topic of office gossip. Whether it be positive or negative gossip, office gossip can be used to better employees in their work environment.
It’s Inevitable
Workplace gossip, whether it is good or bad is going to happen. It’s a part of who we are as humans. Some studies suggest that gossip goes back to prehistoric times where our ancestors used it as a tool to gain vital information for their own survival. Gossip was passed along to help achieve social status or even attract mates. The temptation of the workplace gossip is extremely difficult to overcome. Employees want to be in the loop around the office and want to know what is going on with other coworkers. Gossip is not going to go away. Companies who disapprove of spreading gossip will never eradicate it from the workplace. It is more beneficial to recognize that gossip will happen and to attempt to turn it in your favor.
Spreading Information
Workplace gossip can be used to inform employees about upcoming changes in a company. Information can be distributed through the grapevine as gossip as to not let employees be blindsided by potential sudden changes in the office. Managers can then be in control, to some extent about what is being talked about in workplace gossip. Although opinions about changes will vary, at the very least, employees will know what is going to happen in the near future with gossip being used as a tool.
