Where’s the Line Between Helpful Info-Sharing and Office Gossip?

Often the “gossip” takes the form of someone complaining to me about someone else… someone I’m not responsible for and have little, if any, influence over. A strategy I’ve found effective when I remember to do it, is to—as early as possible in the exchange—throw in a “maybe” statement. “Maybe she thought…” or “Maybe he meant…” It’s usually not hard to see possibilities that put the gossip-target in a potentially more favorable light.

When it works (which is pretty often), it accomplishes two things: makes you less appealing as a gossip audience and maybe helps the gossiper/complainer consider a more positive way to look at the situation/person.

(I use this strategy rather than a more confrontational one, because the confrontational approach tends to fuel even more negativity… and takes up more time. I always have better things to do than deal with office drama, and want to get back to work as quickly as possible.)