006 | 10 Devastating consequences gossip can have on an organisation (Gossip Series #4)

Gossip Series #4

In the previous episode, we discussed the 8 damaging consequences gossip can have on an individual. If you haven’t listened to it, head there now and then come back to listen to this episode where we’ll be discussing the 10 devastating consequences gossip can have on the organisation.

By now, It’s no secret that I feel passionate about eradicating gossip in your workplace.

Today, I want to talk to you about the devastating consequences gossip can have on your organisation.

Let’s start by looking at this from a workplace environment perspective:

1. It will cause a toxic work environment - which can lead to fixed mindsets where people are unwilling to change, unwilling to accept change and unwilling to grow themselves or the organisation.

2. Decreased Innovation: Gossip can stifle creativity and innovation as employees may be hesitant to share new ideas or take risks for fear of becoming the subject of gossip. This can hinder an organization's ability to adapt and compete effectively.

Let’s look at this from a Human Resources perspective:

3. It will cause high staff turnover. After all, why would someone stay in your organisation if they are being bullied and mistreated?

Your HR team will be working extremely hard to attract talent and then also to retain it because people will come and then go again if the environment is toxic.

4. This can then cause damage to the organisation’s reputation. Remember people talk. They will leave the organisation and tell people not to go and work for it as it has a toxic culture.

5. It can cause legal issues. People who decide to not leave the organisation might take legal action against the people who they believe are bullying them, discriminating against them, harassment claims, a hostile work environment or even defamation claims.

This leads us to the financial consequences gossip can have:

6. Legal costs - to deal with any claims that have been made as mentioned in the previous section

7. Increased employee turnover, will cost the company time and money. The cost of recruiting, hiring, and training new employees to replace those who leave can be significant.

8. Decreased Productivity: Gossip often leads to decreased productivity as employees spend time engaging in gossip rather than focusing on their tasks. This can result in missed deadlines, incomplete projects, and overall lower output, all of which can impact an organization's financial performance.

9. Increased Absenteeism: Gossip-related stress and anxiety can lead to increased absenteeism, as employees may take sick days or personal days to avoid the workplace. This can result in additional costs related to paid time off and the need to cover absent employees.

10. Customer Perception: If gossip about internal issues becomes public or reaches customers, it can affect their perception of the organization. Negative publicity or a damaged reputation can impact customer trust and loyalty.

Feeling stuck and don't know what to do?

If you are feeling stuck, I’d like to invite you into my No More Gossip 6-month group coaching program, where I’ll be taking you through my step-by-step system of eradicating gossip and going from toxic to thriving. 

Why 6 months? Because to truly get rid of gossip not for a week, not even for a month, but forever, you will need 6 months to implement the steps and then enjoy a wonderful workplace culture for many many years to come.

Getting rid of gossip will improve your team’s morale, it will increase productivity and ultimately make your workplace a place where people want to be.

So what are you waiting for? Go to womenoffaithinleadership.com and fill out the application form. From there, we will jump on a Zoom call and we’ll discuss the program and how you can get started.

As this is a group program, there will be limited spots available.

Stay tuned because in the next episode, we’ll be finishing up the gossip series with the best episode yet. I have saved the best for last!

And don’t forget, I have some freebies for you when you join the Facebook community.

1. A risk assessment and management tool, that you can use to assess the risk and consequences of gossip in your workplace.
2. A workplace Culture Survey, which you can give to your team to fill out at your next team meeting, so you can start assessing what everyone’s mindset is regarding the current workplace culture. This will indicate to you either how aware or oblivious people in your team are regarding the issue that you have been experiencing.

Next steps:

1. Navigate to https://www.womenoffaithinleadership.com where you can:

• Join the community of like-minded female Christian leaders. This is where I will be hanging out if I'm not on the podcast chatting to you all. Come share and support each other here. 
• Subscribe to my newsletter so you can stay up to date with all upcoming episodes and any other exclusive or special offers.

2. If you need any support, you can get in contact with me for a 1:1 coaching call, simply email me at support@rikawhelan.com

3. Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rikawhelan

Upcoming From Gossip to Growth Program

Sign up for my upcoming No-More-Gossip Program, where I will be taking you through a step-by-step guide to get rid of workplace gossip… for good! Navigate here to sign up for more information.

I look forward to chatting with you in the next episode. Make sure you don't miss it!

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