Your Shot of Fearless Culture #345: Gossip Is Not that Bad

Where change agents find their weekly dose of culture insights and exercises, one topic at a time.

As a former CEO, I used to think that gossip was toxic – a habit that I had to eradicate.

But time proved me wrong.

The more I tried to silence gossip, the more pervasive it became.

I realized gossip is a natural, informal way of communication.

It's a tool as old as human society – it was never meant to be a negative habit.

Instead of treating gossip as a problem to fix, treat it as a signal:
👉 What is it saying about your culture?

Here's what I learned in recent years as a workplace culture consultant:
✅ Gossip helps navigate culture and identify trustworthy (and collaborative) colleagues
✅ Gossip increases belonging and wellbeing
✅ Gossip bridges the gap between 'official' communication and reality
❌ Attempting to silence under-the-radar conversations backfires
❌ Gossip can harm reputations and trust
✅ There are eight types of gossip – focus on the intent to distinguish good from bad

Gossip isn't just a people problem – it's a cultural phenomenon. What does it reveal about your organizational…