It is tempting to gossip in both our personal and
professional lives. Around the water cooler at the office, the mirror in the
ladies room, e-mail or Facebook, gossip happens everywhere. We've all received
and repeated information that may be harmful to someone else's reputation. At
times it may seem innocent or without consequence, but gossip can be dangerous
to your appearance.
It is common to be the victim of rumors and gossip, yet even
with first-hand experience of the discouraging, damaging result, we continue the
cycle by spreading dirt ourselves. This come from our failure to take the consequences into consideration. If
we talk slanderous to one person, they may repeat the information to another,
leading to a wildfire of gossip that will injure not only the person of topic,
but your professionalism as well.
Spreading gossip is unquestionably poor business practice,
even if shared in a private setting. Obviously, there is nothing private about
social networking sites and online media, so relaying gossip in these
arenas can be even more damaging. The
best action is to avoid spreading rumors in the first place. Don't gossip,
especially about competitors or other brands, and don't slander someone else's
name.
With all the destructive, classless mud-slinging we see in
the media, particularly in the realm of politics, it can be difficult to prevent
ourselves from following in their footsteps. There are too many role models in
society that set poor examples for those trying to establish business models.
It was common to grow up being told that "if you don't have anything nice
to say, don't say anything at all." But, as adults, and as business
conscious individuals, sometimes finding the "nice" words to say fall
outside what's best for our interests.
In other words, gossip may seem like a necessary path to
follow. Revealing a negative truth about someone else could look like a way to
build your own reputation. But, in reality, this doesn't reflect how good of a
worker or employer you are, it only reflects how that other individual isn't.
Before you head down the road of selling out someone else's shortcomings, keep
in mind that if you get your facts wrong, you will be the one who is hurt.
Instead of drawing attention to your competitors downfalls,
focus on drawing attention to your own positive qualities. In time, the
consumers or superiors will see, on their own, the margin between you and the
poor quality of your competitors.