What’s so harmful about gossip? Don’t people need the opportunity to vent? What’s wrong with asking our colleagues for advice? As Cassi Mackey, Leadership and Education Consultant, so beautifully puts it, “Gossip pours water on the flame of another human being.”
Research backs this up. Employees surrounded by negative gossip find it hard to trust others or establish good cooperative relationships (Aquino and Thau, 2009). Meanwhile, negative workplace gossip can result in lowering employees’ work efficiency and job satisfaction (Michelson and Mouly, 2000; Greengard, 2001).
This is one of the techniques Cassi shares in her workshop, Creating Harmonious Communities Through the Transformative Power of Courageous Conversation. As a school leader, Cassi began this work years ago with her school community to change the culture around gossiping. The work took about a year, but the rewards were immeasurable.
So when people come to you to gossip or vent, what do you do? Here are a few recommendations from Cassi that you can implement today:
1. Make a community commitment to take concerns directly to the person. (Has your staff collaborated to create their own community values? Take the time to do this work with your staff.)
2. Make safe spaces for venting. Let staff know that they can call for coverage if they need take a walk to calm down, call a partner or friend to vent, or come to their Courgeous Conversation coach (a person on staff designated for these conversations).
3. Provide staff with a script. Cassi uses the phrases, “This isn’t my story to hear.” and “This isn’t my story to tell.” Having a script gives people the language they need to gracefully step out of these conversations. This is Grace and Courtesy for adults!
If you would like to know more about Cassi Mackey and Courageous Conversations, please click on the button below. Cassi’s workshop highlights how to cultivate a safe community where Courageous Conversations are desired, expected, and required by all. Courageous Conversations is ideal for all educators and administrators.
About Cassi Mackey
Education and Leadership Consultant
Cassi Mackey, M.Ed. is passionate about helping communities create identity-safe spaces where people are encouraged to make changes to improve relationships. Cassi has been in the Montessori field for 30 years as a teacher and school leader. She is currently an American Montessori Society (AMS) School Accreditation Commissioner, a trainer for the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) School Administrator course, Instructional Guide for the Center for Guided Montessori Studies School Leadership certification course and AMS Anti-bias Anti-racist certified. She consults with and provides advice to Montessori communities that are intent on generating positive and lasting change.
