As business people, it is practically inevitable that at one time or another in our careers, we will be the subject of or somehow involved in negative office gossip. Gossip is like a toxic mold. It permeates the air and you breathe it in, ingest it. It damages your professional — and maybe even personal — health. It creates animosity, distrust and it's unproductive. It’s been one of the biggest morale killers in any company I’ve worked. Learn my 5 Types of Office Gossips and my 4 Tips on handling it.

1. TOXIC WORKPLACE:
HIGH SCHOOL AT THE OFFICE
Company Culture with a dose of

2. As professional business people, it is practically inevitable that at one time or another in
our careers, we will be the subject of or somehow involved in negative office gossip. This has
got to be one of the top morale killers in any company. What’s created ends up being a…
TOXIC WORKPLACE:
HIGH SCHOOL AT THE OFFICE

3. First, let’s identify the…
5 TYPES OF OFFICE GOSSIPS
ACCORDING TO

4. CATTY BITCHES
They’re just plain mean for no
reason at all… except maybe to
fill a void in their meaningless lives.
Office Gossip Type:

5. ATTENTION WHORES
They do it for the attention.
Negative attention is still attention.
It’s all about you focusing on “ME.”
Office Gossip Type:

6. OFFICE SPIES
Eavesdroppers don’t typically
grasp context... they’ll just fill in the
gaps as dramatically as possible.
Office Gossip Type:

7. DANCE PARTNERS
They don’t spread it, but they
don’t discourage it either. They
love to hear all the juicy details.
Office Gossip Type:

8. STORYTELLERS
Never tell them anything personal.
They can’t help but drip… usually
with a distorted view of the truth.
Office Gossip Type:

9. BOREDOM insecurity TO FIT IN attention CATTINESS adventure LONELINESS
acceptance DESIRE FOR CONNECTION encouraged behavior TOXIC ENVIRONMENT
low self-esteem FEEL BETTER ABOUT THEMSELVES validation PRODUCT OF THE
COMPANY CULTURE …
should I keep going?
WHY DO PEOPLE GOSSIP?

10. Gossip is like a toxic mold. It permeates the air and you breathe it in, ingest it. It damages
your professional — and maybe even personal — health. It creates animosity, distrust and
it’s unproductive. It’s been one of the biggest morale killers in any company I’ve worked.
WHY IT’S BAD

11. How to deal with it…
4 TIPS ON HANDLING
OFFICE GOSSIP

12. Gossip needs oxygen to survive. Don’t give any of yours.DON’T ENCOURAGE.
Keep your personal life, and opinions, to yourself.UNDERSHARE.
Who might get hurt? Who might lose the promotion? Who might
lose a friendship? Who might lose their job? It might be YOU.
THINK ABOUT THE
CONSEQUENCES.
Walk away… it shows you have integrity.TAKE THE HIGH ROAD.

13. PARTING THOUGHT…

14. GREAT MINDS DISCUSS IDEAS.
AVERAGE MINDS DISCUSS EVENTS.
SMALL MINDS DISCUSS PEOPLE.
Eleanor Roosevelt

15. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
AND EXPERIENCES WITH ME
ABOUT OFFICE GOSSIP
@