Water Cooler Talk That is Just Plain Cold

Water cooler talk or water cooler gossip is nothing new to an office environment. Since we are social creatures, the conversation about everyday matters is just part of our routine. There can be really good and uplifting water cooler talk and then there can be some extremely damaging talk that can affect your office morale to its detriment

Here are a few no-nos we’ve compiled, along with some suggestions as to what is acceptable (and even encouraged) to discuss around the water cooler.

Key Items You DON’T Discuss….

Religion & Politics

This seems to be everyone’s hot button for sure.  Discussing either of these items can really bring about some strong feelings.  People, in general, have some very personal and deep feelings when it comes to religion and politics.  

There may be some balance to talking about either of those, of course. If it is just general conversation, that may be acceptable but when it crosses the line into strong opinion,s that is where it can go overboard quickly and feelings can get hurt.

Acceptable water cooler talk? No

Negative Office Gossip

“Did you hear about…?”  “I can’t believe the way so-and-so talked to me.”  You get the picture right? Pure catty conversation is completely debilitating to an office environment and should be avoided at all costs.

Be assertive when you are dealing with an office gossip. Tell them exactly where you stand and that will discourage them from continuing. Regular team meetings are also very helpful to diminish gossip.  

Sometimes rumors can start about what is going on in a company. We all know the effect a rumor can have. The story is never told the same as it moves from person to person and it becomes greatly exaggerated.  

It is critical for supervisors to address rumors quickly. Make sure your communication is clear and concise if there any changes whatsoever taking place in your company. Make sure there is some open time for questions.  Do your part to quell rumors quickly.

Acceptable water cooler talk? No

Employee Workplace Diversity

This next heading covers a wide range of items that really should be common sense.  Jokes and or conversation that discuss sexual orientation, race, and culture should not be tolerated.  

Talking about someone’s age can create problems. For example, let’s say you have a new property manager that is younger than you are.  Having water cooler conversation about their potential lack of experience can really erode your team’s morale.

Acceptable water cooler talk? No

Socioeconomics

Anything that is personal and confidential should never be discussed in a work environment.  Things such as salary, personal community status, possessions, and even cultural preferences can create firestorms and really wreak havoc on your personal name.  Basically anything that is personal to you should be kept with you. Zip your lip.

Acceptable water cooler talk? No

Confidential Information

This probably goes without saying, but you’d be surprised how many times I’ve heard this information shared among co-workers.  For example, you’re a supervisor and an employee comes in to ask for time off for a personal matter. Maybe it’s a family vacation, a health matter they need to attend to, or maybe they refuse to disclose the reason to you.  You may feel that it’s not a big deal to tell others why the employee has taken that time off.

But is it really up to you to divulge that information? Anything said behind closed doors between you and your employee should be kept confidential unless and until that employee discloses it to others of their own free will.

Acceptable water cooler talk? No

So what does that leave us to discuss?  It seems that our hands are tied when it comes to what we can or should discuss with our co-workers.  Should we just stay silent and not have conversations at all?

That may seem safe, and to be honest, there may be times when that is the best thing to do.  However, complete silence is often not the most pleasant of work environments. It can weigh down on you as heavily as a loud and distracting environment can.  So here are a few ideas to help you to make water cooler talk a little easier.

Key Items You Should Discuss….

Ask Questions

People love to talk about the subject they know the most about which is themselves. Without making them feel like they’re being interrogated, take an interest in your co-worker.  Use discernment when asking questions in order to make them feel like they can divulge as little or as much as they want to.  

For example: “How was your weekend?” is a bit safer than “What did you do this weekend?”. Perhaps you can ask “Did you always want to be a (insert job position)?”.  Let your co-worker set the pace as to what they are willing to divulge about themselves and that will give you an indication as to what kind of questions are safe to ask.

Acceptable water cooler talk? Yes

Talk About Yourself  

This can be a tricky one.  But if you do it modestly, you can actually encourage someone to open up about themselves too.  This can lead to a refreshing conversation where you get to know each other better.

Do you have a funny story about what happened to you at work?  Tell it. Do you have an embarrassing story about yourself? If you’re willing to tell it, your co-worker may see that you’re willing to laugh at yourself and therefore you become much more approachable.

 Just be careful to balance your talk with silence to allow your co-worker to participate in the conversation too. Resist the urge to be a chatterbox or interrupt them when they are talking.

Acceptable water cooler talk? Yes

Positive Gossip

Yup.  You heard that right.  There IS such a thing as positive workplace gossip.  You’ve probably heard of positive peer pressure. Well, it’s the same concept.  

Let’s say you tell Joe that Jane broke the record for leases last month. If said in a positive manner, this will encourage Joe to work harder to land more leases and makes Jane look good.

Relating positive customer service experiences you’ve had or heard of (in or out of the office) can help everyone work toward better customer relations. All of this adds to the company’s bottom line and can encourage everyone to feel like they’re part of a winning team.

Acceptable water cooler talk? Yes

World Events

If you’ve run out of things to talk about, there’s always news and weather.  Just steer clear of the subjects of politics and religion, or at the very least, tread lightly.

Acceptable water cooler talk? Yes

The idea is to maintain a pleasant work environment and not a hostile one. Water cooler talk or water cooler gossip can make or break your company morale. Make this an active part of your employee training. Lead by example.