EP 27: What To Do About Gossip (Especially When It’s About You!)

Welcome to another episode of the Work Smart Club podcast. Today we discuss all things gossip and how to handle it; particularly when it’s about you. We look into the interesting origin of gossip, what it is exactly, its damaging consequences, and why it is a symptom of a bigger problem that needs to be addressed. Gossip is not something you can always control, but today we share how you can make a difference and stop contributing to it by saying no to being a passive listener. We also discuss the importance of opening the lines of communication before looking at what to do when the gossip is about you. Cynthia reminds us that we are each responsible for our own emotions and in order to display emotional intelligence, we need to be in control of how we demonstrate those emotions. Lastly, we talk about how leaders should create a culture of open discussion and honesty in order to reject gossip in the working environment. To hear all this and more, tune in now! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Where gossip originated from. 
• The damaging consequences gossip carries. 
• What exactly gossip is. 
• How you can make a difference and stop contributing to gossip. 
• Why being a passive listener to gossip is just as bad as gossiping. 
• Cynthia shares a story of recent tension in her workplace. 
• What you do when the gossip is about you.
• The importance of opening the lines of communication. 
• The importance of keeping your emotions in check when dealing with conflict. 
• Why we’re responsible for how we feel and demonstrate feelings: emotional intelligence. 
• Why leaders need to get comfortable with dealing with conflict directly. 
• How leaders can create a culture of openness and honesty. 
• Why gossip is a symptom.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Cynthia Howard on LinkedIn

Work Smart Consulting

Work Smart Club Network