In a recent visit to a client’s facility, I marveled at the unbelievable caring that existed among staff and residents. Walking in the door was a treat. One encounters peace, happiness, and engagement among all. You can just feel it. This doesn’t happen without a common goal, checking your own behavior and committing to a defined standard of peer acceptance.
Cooperation at this level does not come easily in most workplaces as attempts are made to integrate a surplus of different personalities and perspectives. When we throw lots of people together to form a “workplace stew,” sometimes the “ingredients” don’t blend well. Gossip, bullying and difficulties accepting diversity among peers can impede a positive work flow.
Just the mention of gossip during training sessions that I facilitate elicits groans from the audience. Have you ever stopped to think about how rumor, hearsay and talking about one another effects productivity and the ability to get along? Have you thought about how much it costs an organization both financially and operationally? Dr. Lynea Diane Lavoy, a full-time manager of Training and Development at TDS Telecommunications Corp. and a Communications Professor at Edgewood College, writes about the real cost of workplace gossip. Tangible monetary loss can be associated with:
- Lost productivity and wasted time
- Erosion of morale and trust
- Increase in anxiety over unsubstantiated rumors
- Intensification of divisiveness as people “take sides”
- Retention issues related to good employees leaving due to an unhealthy work atmosphere
Try some of these strategies to downsize a gossip.¹
- Find the root cause
- Attack the issue not the gossiper
- Seek the solution not the problem
- Let there be an open forum
- Venting with limits
- Lead by and set an example
- Mentoring
- Listen well and then act
- Let there be positive gossips
- Set the tone for a gossip-free environment
- Create an empathetic atmosphere
- Set boundaries/parameters
- Teach self-respect
- Create a joyful work environment
When contemplating bullying which, incidentally, seems to be on the rise in workplaces, I notice that employers have a difficult time addressing it directly. There are challenges and risks associated with confronting bullying behavior. I once put myself in the middle of two employees who were about to throw punches at one another! However, if ignored, the bully "rules the roost" and causes great damage to the work flow, intimidates staff and in the severest of cases, harms residents in your facility.
Face the issue head-on. It requires a risk-taking mentality combined with a courageous attitude and determination. Gather information from staff confidentially. Assure team members that you intend to get to the bottom of the problem. Ask lots of questions of many people to get the clearest possible understanding of the situation. Does bullying really exist or is the environment permeated with gross misunderstandings? (Another issue to explore) Address concerns thoughtfully after much investigation and solve the discourse. In one facility, staff found that by addressing the situation in a straight-forward manner, (counseling one employee and then moving her to a different area and terminating another) that the relief associated with these changes, altered the “feel” of the nursing unit.
Last but certainly not least is the issue of diversity. I have written about this before but it is worth repeating. We find it difficult to understand a perspective different from our own, a viewpoint or belief structure that feels uncomfortable. Many times it is awkward to work among people with whom we find nothing in common. However, by tilting our point of view ever so slightly, we might begin to notice that there are some valuable learning opportunities. While we may not share a common background or culture, we are employed in a common workplace with the collective goal of caring for our residents. A strategy that a peer uses to makes the workday easier or a perspective pertaining to a difficult situation can ease a problem or a challenge. If we are open to learning from someone with whom we have nothing in common, we may create a foundation for shared experiences and problem solving.
Kindness starts with you. Offering a smile or a compassionate word creates opportunities to grow a more stable, cohesive work environment where everyone thrives!
¹ Reddy, Krishna. “How to Handle or Deal with Gossip about You at Work: 25 Tips – WiseStep.” WiseStep. WiseStep, 03 June 2016. Web. 05 Sept. 2016. <http://content.wisestep.com/handle-deal-gossip-work/>>