If your office is gossip free, then I assume you work at home, alone. Gossip, after all, is human nature. It has been with us ever since the third human arrived on earth.

How should you deal with gossip?

If you are a boss, then use it. Once upon a time Japanese executives trickled strategy ideas down the hierarchy. They refined the strategy based on the reaction of the people who would have to make it work.

You too could seed a bit of gossip to test a new idea or policy. That is, as long as you are tapped into the gossip network.

And if you are an employee, use it. Listen to as much gossip as you can stomach. There is no better source of career making information.

But whether boss or employee, don’t be labeled a gossip. The trick is to have access to gossip without passing it on.

(If you figure out how, please let me know.)

Welcome to my side of the nonsense divide.