Workplace savvy: The office gossip

Everyone knows this rascal: She, or he, is the one dishing the dirt on who’s in, who’s out and who’s having a torrid rendezvous in the supply closet. Some forms of chatter can be beneficial – getting a heads-up about job openings, for example. But resist the urge to slam someone when they’re not around. “It makes you wonder what the gossips will say about you when you leave the room,” says Susanne Biro, a leadership coach in Vancouver. “It’s best to shut it down immediately. Just say, ‘This conversation is making me uncomfortable.’ ”