Ever since we landed high school until we stepped foot into the college of engineering, gossip has always been there. Unfortunately, gossip happens even in the workplace. Here’s a story from a friend who has experienced being at the receiving end of the gossip. What’s worse is that, it usually comes from his engineering manager.
My Engineering Manager is a Rumor-Monger (Source: Pinterest)
‘Almost everyday, my boss would call me into his office for extreme conversations about my other co-workers. It would’ve been okay if he praised them—wherein sometimes he would—but more often than not, he would speak ill about some of them then try to ask my opinion on the matter. “A is so lazy, look at him just staring at his computer, why can’t he be just like B?” Sometimes he would even try to push me into his game by saying “What do you think? Isn’t it better that Y was fired?”’
My Engineering Manager is a Rumor-Monger (Source: Pinterest)
My friend was a newbie engineer at work and he couldn’t afford to be fired, so he was afraid to tell his boss that he really wasn’t the type who likes to gossip.
Everyone wants to have friends in the workplace, we’re a team after all—that includes the boss. There are bosses who have difficulty fitting into their workplace that’s why sometimes they make up stories to be able to connect with their group. Just like this example, from an episode from the series ‘The Office’.
My Engineering Manager is a Rumor-Monger (Source: YouTube, Rick Field)
But bosses who are rumor mongers should understand that by doing this, they could ruin the reputation of their team—sometimes even permanently. Bosses should be professional, pleasant, kind and concerned about the welfare of their team members. Gossiping encourages an unpleasant environment, which may not only affect the team’s personal lives, but it may affect the work they do as well.
My Engineering Manager is a Rumor-Monger (Source: Pinterest)
If bosses have a problem with a certain employee, it’s best to talk to them personally and hit them straight with the facts. Healthy confrontation is a good way to clear things up with a team member, rather than going around the office, asking people around if team member X really was partying yesterday, but called in sick.
If it is absolutely necessary to ask another person about a team member’s performance, a boss should ask them this way “How is Y doing with the new action plan?” not “Y must be slacking off again, the action plan presentation sucks! What a loser.”
A good boss thinks about the welfare of his/her team and absolutely doesn’t gossip! So, if ever you end up being a boss in the future, learn to be a leader, not a gossip monger.
