Every workplace has an invisible communication network through which information and rumors circulate. Sometimes the information is accurate; the real problem is that its accuracy is unknown. In organizations where internal communication is weak, gossip fills the gaps.
Gossip typically:
- Contains negative or exaggerated information.
- Represents one person judging another behind their back in an attempt to gain superiority.
- Is a below-the-belt attack on someone who is defenseless in that moment.
- Is often an unfair assault driven by insecurity, using one’s status, popularity, or relationships against someone else.
- May include exaggeration, distortion, or outright lies.
- Can lead to “execution without trial” if believed.
- Appears to function as a news source but is entirely biased.
- When tolerated in organizations, destroys trust, obscures the truth, and elevates the narratives of the most influential voices.
Leaders sometimes rely on gossip networks to gather information from lower levels, but this channel creates far more damage than benefit. Gossip is often rooted in hidden jealousy or fear. Emotionally healthy people do not gossip, nor do they say behind someone’s back what they would not say to their face. Those who gossip typically fear being confronted, which increases the likelihood that what they say contains exaggeration or falsehood.
People who feel threatened by successful colleagues inevitably emerge. In nature, every species seeks to secure its survival; similarly, high-performing individuals try to raise others up, while struggling individuals often want others to fail so they feel less alone.
Never give weight to gossip or those who spread it. Rest assured: someone who gossips to you is also gossiping about you elsewhere.
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