I am philosophically opposed to gossip, but as a flawed human, and a writer at that—I just can’t seem to stay away from observations and stories about people. Even at the ripe old age of forty, I have not quite mastered when it is “good” gossip and when it is not and recently I was talking with a colleague about how to keep gossip under control and figure out what and how it is best for a small business…
It is so tempting and interesting to talk about people! It can also help us build alliances with some people even while it is distancing us from others. As a business owner, however, who we gossip with and why and how much—not to mention what we are actually saying—can have a direct influence on our businesses.
So, what constitutes gossip? I was taught that talking about another person at all—other than to say something like “What a lovely person, I’m so glad I know her” was gossip. Now, that might be a pretty strict definition, a friend of mine says that gossip is talking about someone and saying things that you wouldn’t say to their face. Well, I have known folks who could say some pretty nasty, direct things to a person’s face and that didn’t seem to make things any better. As a rule, I think that talking about other people and dissecting their personalities, speculating about their personal lives, or telling things that are not really suitable for public consumption can pretty much be considered gossip.
The thing about gossiping is that even when you feel like you are with a receptive audience and everyone is in agreement—someone may be offended or may start to think that you are an untrustworthy person. This could, in turn, influence your business reputation. If you get a reputation as someone who gossips or dishes about other people (whether it is colleagues, clients, customers, family, whatever) that could have an adverse affect on your business.
Okay, none of us is perfect and it is probably unreasonable to assume that we will be able to eliminate a little gossip entirely—but keep in mind that even a little gossip can be harmful for a small home business.
Also: Gossip Can be Good For You
What Are You Teaching Your Kids About Gossip?