Don't Waste Your Time and Energy On Gossip

This week I attended a social gathering with other professional women and bumped into someone I hadn't seen in a long time. I was excited to see her and wanted to know what she's been up to. She went into full "sales pitch" mode and told me I needed to get with her immediately about it. Then, she switched gears and started telling me all about a woman that was a mutual acquaintance of ours. Within minutes, she told me that the woman had to dissolve her corporation and closed her business. She continued telling me about the woman's new relationship which she explained didn't seem very healthy and that she's "dropped the ball" on everything else.

I'm sure you've heard things like this through the Grapevine before, right? Maybe you were the topic of discussion? I guess the good news is you are being talked about but the bad news is you have no control over what was being discussed. It's easy to get sucked into the drama of the conversation but be careful, it's not very professional.

Rumors are spread very easily and usually get back to the person that was being talked about. For example, when I made the decision to resign from my previous position as Executive Managing Director for a major women's networking organization, someone actually told me that someone else said I was fired! Nothing could be further from the truth; first of all, I wasn't an employee and second, I was one of the top producers in the company! It was totally my decision and a very difficult one to make. I've always said, St. Louis is the smallest big city in the Midwest!

The point I'm trying to make is don't spend precious time talking SMACK, it's not worth it. Instead, focus on all the positive things happening and maintain a professional manner at all times. If the conversation starts with..."Did you hear about???? or "I heard..." immediately redirect and change the topic into something else or excuse yourself from the conversation. One of my favorite redirects is "So, how 'bout those Cardinals, huh?" Everyone usually laughs.

This week listen closely to the conversations around you and monitor your own responses. Make the commitment to only talk health, wealth and happiness to everyone you network with!

To Your Networking Success,

Darlene Willman, "The Sassy Networker"