Tips for Avoiding Work Gossip
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As much as possible, it is best to avoid work gossip. Little good can come from it, however much bad can come if the wrong person hears of your gossip. It can be a challenge for some people to distance themselves from gossip if someone starts it with them, however there are things that you can do to avoid this situation. The following are some techniques you might want to try.
If there is a group of people engaging in gossip about work, walk away
If there are a lot of people gossiping, you might just want to simply walk away. Leave the situation. This might happen in a break area or during lunch. Because the others are talking around you, no one might even notice if you take off. If they ask why you are leaving, you do not have to give a specific answer or you can be honest, but you will probably just be able to melt into the background.
Excuse yourself
If you can’t just walk away from the conversation such as if you are in a conversation with a single person, you can make some sort of excuse in order to leave. You might have to go back to work, use the restroom or whatever. Be careful about outright lying (you don’t want to get caught in that later) but you can find some excuse to leave if you can.
Change the subject
You might want to just try changing the topic to something more benign. Every time they bring up work gossip, talk about something else. It can be about whatever you want – just find something that isn’t gossip.
Stay away from the big gossipers
Some people seem like they were born to gossip. They may always be talking about the who, what, where and why. You might want to make it a point to stay away from them so as to avoid the work gossip.
Tell them you are not comfortable talking about those things
It is all right to be honest. If it bothers you, you can just say that you would rather not discuss that. Say it nicely, and you can even explain your position. You might want to do this more if there is someone who is always gossiping and you can’t seem to get away from it.
Work gossip is not something that most people want to be a part of. Consider the above techniques to help you avoid it.
Updated On: 04/12/2010 Published On: 04/12/2010 Best expensive gifts for a new baby