Take Back the 65 Hours Lost at Your Office
By: Bean Jones
I just recently came across an article discussing the July 2002 survey conducted by Equisys, a business communications company, which revealed that the average employee spends 65 hours a year gossiping at the office. I was flabbergasted to realize that the time lost is equivalent to about eight working days.
The hours eaten up by office gossip may have even increased since then--as people have employed technology to spread gossip. In fact, according to a 2007 case study by Steelcase, an office equipment company based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, more and more people trade office gossip via e-mail or instant messaging.
What do people gossip about? "Gossip generally takes two forms," writes USA Today's Stephanie Armour. "[They're] rumors about company changes, such mergers, layoffs, managerial promotions, and staffing changes. [They could also be] personal gossip about specific employees: who is doing well, having an affair, or grappling with personal problems."
But whatever it is that has the office grapevine buzzing, one thing is clear: productivity suffers. Lisa Cieslica, a senior human resources manager for the US-based National Professional Employer Organization, also points out: "Productivity loss is not only experienced by the gossipers... who are spending company time chatting and e-mailing back and forth about the 'latest news,' but also consider the loss of productivity that is experienced by the victim."
To eradicate this nasty productivity drain, Cieslica advises companies to:
1. Be proactive and have open door policy with their staff.
2. Enhance policies against gossiping.
3. Create a culture of mutual respect.
4. Encourage the staff to work as a team, as people tend to gossip about others if they don't know them.
But this doesn't mean that you can't engage in the occasional friendly chat with your workmates. Talk about hobbies, movies, and other fun topics if you like. Should there be any "bad" news discussed, you should just remain neutral. Fanning the flames of controversy won't do anyone--or the company--any good. And surely there are better things to do in 65 hours.
To help keep you focused on work rather than rumors, check out Simpleology 101's Daily Target Praxis.
Comments
How right you are! But stopping office gossip isn't as easy as it sounds now is it.
Gossip is the end result of fear-fear of exclusion, fear of inadequacy, fear of not measuring up, not being accepted,etc. Businesses can greatly reduce gossip by fostering teamwork and creativity. Businesses or bosses that thrive on one-upmanship and unhealthy competion foster an atmosphere of gossip, deceit, low productivity and low satisfaction. We as individuals bring our doubts, fears and old experiences where ever we go; we do not need encouragement to follow a negative path-negativity has it's own pull.
Even working at home doesn't make folks immune to the gossip bug.
Simply setting that aside until AFTER scheduled work hours (if you really must do that stuff)would do a world of good for your productivity.
Don't forget about cell phones. Not as much in an office environment, but I see "workers" using their cell phones, talking and texting at times that it looks to me that they are "on the clock". All the time...everywhere I go.
If businesses communicated better with their staff there wouldnt be so much to speculate about. In addition, gossip on corporate items forms a very important part of acceptance in change management.
I personally would have expected it to be more than 65 hours...I'm sure it is in some companies
Productivity and quality are in danger when gossiping takes the labor scene.
Besides time loss, relations between workers are in danger too.
Getting to know each other is a great way to enhance labor relations. "Distant" or unknown employees are the focus of gossiping.
An open labor environment is more productive and creates a good labor "climate".