Remember back when you were in high school? You'd walk into a room and the talking would get very hushed and you would slowly realize that the people in the room were just talking about you. "Things will be so much better when I am an adult," you'd think. Well, I've got news for you. I'm afraid that trash talking does not end when you get your diploma.
With blogs such as Perezhilton.com and rags such as US Weekly all the rage, it seems that we are addicted to gossip. I'm not sure whether it's insecurity or a lack of better material, but there comes a time in everyone's life in which he or she will be the subject of conversation.
If you try to be polite and not ruffle any feathers, you are branded an ass kisser. If you move through an organization too quickly, everyone thinks you slept with the boss. Grabbing too many lunches with your platonic cube mate? He must be cheating on his wife with you. It's inevitable. Even the most unassuming office drone eventually becomes the topic of conversation at some point.
Short of quitting your job, what do you do? Most of the time it's easiest to just let it roll off of your back until the subject has changed and you are no longer the topic of conversation. But what happens when the gossip is so bad that it's uncomfortable to go to work? Try approaching the talkers and see if you can work it out. If they won't stop mouth running, it's best to get HR involved. Work is work and there is no reason that the atmosphere should be tense.
If you work for a big company, try and find a position in another department. If that isn't an option, it may be best to find a new job altogether. There is no reason for bullying in the adult world. So if you catch yourself joining in on the trash talking, just imagine what it's like to be on the other side, and knock it off. After all, this isn't high school.
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