If You Can't Say Something Good....

I recently read about a business place that has a very unusual rule. They have a zero-tolerance policy for gossip. If employees are caught gossiping, they are reprimanded, and if they continue, they’re fired. They’re encouraged to confront each other with any problems they have instead of gossiping behind each others’ backs. Idle talk that spreads malicious rumors about another person is strictly forbidden!

 

How unique!

 

Speaking badly of others betrays confidence, separates close friends, and causes shame or a bad reputation. People rarely can undo the damage their untrue words have done to a neighbor.

 

Many things that others say aren’t meant to be repeated. But it seems that some of us just can’t resist being the first to share a bit of juicy gossip!

Wouldn’t it be nice if we always followed the rule our mothers taught us: “If you can’t say something good about someone, don’t say anything at all?”

 

I know someone who actually lives that way. Whenever you say even the slightest negative thing about someone, this friend comes back with something good. It never fails! She absolutely will not listen to anything unflattering about another person. According to her, the best way to deal with gossip is to ignore it. A person who gossips is looking for a reaction, but if he gets none, it loses its appeal.

 

I’m guessing that those who work for the business place that forbids gossip discover quickly if they want to keep their jobs they must learn to say only nice things about everyone.

 

I never heard of this policy before, but I like it!

It should be universally adopted.