Working in some office environments is similar to reality TV, where participants are pitted against each other for survival of the cunning.

If you work in an organizational culture where gossip and rumors run rampant, how can you navigate your way through it and thrive?

In one sense, gossip is a natural human endeavor because it plays into our desire to belong to a group with similar interests and share stories. That’s the good side…and it’s rarely—if ever—as simple as that.

The dark side of gossip involves the seductive power of negative news, especially tempting when it involves people we know. It’s like a train wreck: We’re unable to avert our eyes, knowing full well that we’ll be forever changed if we continue to stare at it.

We’re curious to know the gory details about others—an inclination that helps us discern friend versus foe in the workplace. But gossipers have personal agendas, and they rarely adhere to facts. Instead, they seek to influence us by delivering biased and often false messages.

Once their words are unleashed, it’s difficult to “un-ring the bell,” especially if you haven’t had time to confront the reality, facts or person. Meanwhile, an individual’s reputation has been tainted—perhaps permanently.

Unless you’re careful, you can turn into one five types of gossipers.

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The complete 1,000 word article includes these five types of gossipers and important concepts tips for handling each situation.

• The Newbie
• The Stick-in-the-Mud
• The Sponge
• The Gossiper-in-Training
• The Neutralizer

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Office Gossip: How to Survive and Thrive

Some executives  are uncomfortable using power or office politics, viewing them as the dark side of workplace behavior. They believe morale and commitment erode when politics dominate the environment.

But research clearly shows that being politically savvy and building a power base pay off.

Sources of Influence

There are three sources of influence in an organization: positional, relational and personal:

1. Positional power: Your title and job status confer some level of formal authority.
2. Relationships: Informal power stems from the relationships and alliances you form with others. If you do a favor for someone, the law of reciprocity impacts your relationship.
3. Personal: Some people generate influence based on their knowledge, expertise, technical competencies and ability to articulate ideas or a vision that others will follow. Your communication skills, charisma and trustworthiness help determine your personal power.

Open to Influence

Executives and managers who are open to peers’ and subordinates’ input garner greater respect than those who resist others’ influence. An openness to influence demonstrates trust and respect, which become reciprocal and contagious.

You can offer goods and services to a potential ally in exchange for cooperation: technical assistance, information, lease of space or equipment, a plum assignment and the like. Understanding what others want or value is crucial.

Avoiding Power

Jeffrey Pfeffer, a professor of organizational behavior at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and author of Power: Why Some People Have It—And Others Don’t, cites three barriers that cause executives to shy away from using power to extend their influence.

This article examines three ways people avoid power, why power is so important to success, persuasion tactics, and practical steps for leveraging office politics in an ethical manner.

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You may also modify it and add your personal experiences and perspectives.

The complete 2,000 word article includes these important concepts:

• Sources of Power
• Open to Influence
• Currencies of Exchange
• Power without Authority
• Avoiding Power
• Fair Play?
• Persuasion
• Office Politics

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Power, Politics, and Persuasion
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Power, Politics, and Persuasion
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