Without going into to much detail, partially because I don't want to divulge too much information, but mostly because I'm extremely ashamed to admit this, I have found myself caught up in the gossip at work, have been for a while now, and have been struggling to escape it.
To make a long story short, my place of work is falling apart, lacking leadership and clear direction, ambiguity about job security, and expectations about the future. As a result, there is a lot of gossip and rumors, from everything from individuals and their alleged work ethic or lack there of, to changes in company direction and expectations, to who knows what. It is having a negative impact on people's emotions, their drive to work, and most importantly, the reputations of individuals. Our jobs have already gotten balls hard with all the changes in the company and this collective behavior is just making things worse.
I'm ashamed to admit I've been a part of this. I'm also ashamed to admit that I don't know how to stop. I'm not ashamed to admit though, that I want to stop and need advice. So if you guys have any advice or insight or experience, please share it.