We use gossip to create social groups, find allies and even procrastinate. While gossip does have its place in the office, talk that doesn’t end with any kind of action should be avoided.
I know you already know this. But what many of us don’t actually have is the skill to end our conversations on an action-oriented note.
Action – Gossip aside, most discussions CAN conclude with one of the following phrases:
“I agree to do X, what do you agree to do?”
Or
“What’s our next action going to be, and by when?”
Or
“There’s nothing to do next here. Let’s revisit this in a month.”
As you can see, all three statements do something constructive, either in the immediate future or a little longer term.
And if you find yourself frequently engaged in talks that realistically can’t end in any of these phrases, you’re gossiping too much!