Gossip.

Pssst. Hey. Did you hear about blah blah blah….?

I hate gossip.

I engage in it sometimes, and halfway through the conversation I feel slimy.

Gossip is perhaps the lowest form of communication. It can ruin friendships, damage reputations, and break trust. In an organization, such as your place of business, it can do irreparable harm and undermine leadership and crush team unity.

When I catch myself gossiping, I stop. Sometimes I will even admit to it out loud, apologize, shut it down and change topics.

I’ve not only been the source of gossip, I have been the target of it as well. You probably have too. Remember how bad it hurts?

One thing I always think of when somebody starts spreading gossip to me is…if they are talking about so and so behind their back, they are probably talking about me behind my back too.

Dave Ramsey defines gossip as discussing negative issues with someone who can't help resolve them. In other words, you talk to a peer about the latest decision handed down from management, just to vent. You know the peer can’t fix the problem, so the gossip just adds fuel to the fire of dissension.

Talking about the issue with your supervisor, on the other hand, is productive assuming they are in a position to help solve your concerns.

If you are just complaining, or trying to slander someone, zip it. When somebody starts to tell you a juicy secret, tell them you don’t want to hear it.

Words have power. Wield them wisely in the right situation.

"The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell." — James 3:6