Stop A Gossip In Their Tracks And Feel Better About Yourself

Gossiping isn’t kind and a lot of us don’t want to take part in it.  But how can you stop a gossip from gossiping?  The truth is that there are ways to do that.  You have to be intentional for it to work but you can stop a gossip, at least from coming to you with their latest story.

One way to stop a gossip is to cut the person off who is coming to you with gossip right when they start to tell you their latest tale.  When you hear them start in on a story about Suzy, John or Sadie, simply interrupt them and say something complimenting the person they were going to talk about.  You might say how much you appreciate their sense of humor and ability to make you smile.  You might say that you are always happy to be around them because of how kind and thoughtful that you are.  Chances are, you can stop a gossip by using this strategy because the person gossiping is going to be completely caught off guard when you are complimenting the very person they wanted to talk about.

Another strategy you can use is to be honest with the person who is gossiping without pointing fingers.  Tell them that you have been making an effort not to take part in gossip and you would really appreciate if they helped you out by not coming to you with stories or tales so you will not be tempted to participate.  This gets your point across that their gossiping is not acceptable to you without making it their fault.  This should stop the gossip and help you out.

For more information on how to stop the gossip that is coming your way in the workplace, you may enjoy this article on the subject by The Washington Post.

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