You're kidding me, right?

Question

Yahoo!'s story on gossip being good at work: http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/jobseeker/tools/ept/careerArticlesPost.html?post=72

Online Webster's Dictionary definition of gossip: http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary

I dunno who assigned or approved of Margaret Steen to write about this, but frankly, this is a ridiculous story and consideration. Coworkers are supposed to get along and get the job done while remaining professional and gossip never EVER helps. If there's something to be said about someone else's behavior or a trend within or beyond the office, it should be said openly to everyone or personally to your superior. Period. There's nothing worse for a supervisor or a boss than to clean up a social mess because of how someone happened to start some mindless immature rumor around the workplace . Gossip ruins productivity and creates unnecessary rivalries and tension where it should never ever occur.

With regards to how Margaret defines good gossip, these parameters should be used instead on how to define whether or not something should be talked about at all. If you're intent is well-meant, if you're just trying to be helpful, or you're trying to prevent an odd form of confrontation, then you should be willing to talk openly about it in the first place. Again, we're all responsible for being responsible at the workplace which means minding EVERYBODY's feelings and relations. If you wanna be a little more friendly with some more than others, that's fine. Just do that on your own time and beyond the confines of the office or workplace.

With regards to how Margaret defines good gossip, these parameters should be used instead on how to define whether or not something should be talked about at all. If your intent is well-meant, if you're just trying to be helpful, or you're trying to prevent an odd form of confrontation, then you should be willing to talk openly about it in the first place. Again, we're all responsible for being responsible at the workplace which means minding EVERYBODY's feelings and relations. If you wanna be a little more friendly with some more than others, that's fine. Just do that on your own time and beyond the confines of the office or workplace.

Answer 1

What you're talking about and what the story is talking about seem a little different. The story mentions helping new hires acclimate by telling them "don't be late to so-and-so's meeting because they won't like it" or making the boss seem more human by relating how he/she doesn't grill out very well. In neither case is it malicious to spread those things. It would, however, be very different if you were explaining how so-and-so has a three-martini lunch on a regular basis. According to the story, anything spread for personal gain or to put someone else down is bad.

Answer 2

I agree. It always comes back around to bite you in the @$$.