The global Covid pandemic changed workplace dynamics for the past several years, and maybe forever. When employees gather in an office environment, there is a synergy, an energetic power that can be both positive and negative. On a positive note, there can be an open sharing of ideas and quick response from multiple people if someone has a question. This open sharing can lend to broader input from people with different points of view; all of which may be very beneficial to the original questions posed. On a negative note, some feel the larger office herd dynamics can foster gossip and negative influences to spread throughout the office like wildfire.

When employees start working from home and lose the camaraderie of an office group dynamic, isolation and loneliness can set in; similar to Ginger on Gilligan's Island. There is no instant feedback on questions or open sharing of ideas. Teleconference meetings do not have the same power as physically being in the same office environment as your co-workers. Emails and phone-tag messages back and forth, can lead to frustration and limited viewpoints on feedback.

The watercooler has been branded, for years, as the gathering point for office gossip. A December 2023 research study from Binghamton University in New York sheds some new light on office gossip and its benefits to both employees and the employer. The study concluded that, "workplace gossip could reduce the likelihood of employee turnover and, as a result, potentially boost and organization's effectiveness."

The study was conducted by Jinhee Moon, a doctoral student at Binghamton University's School of Management. Here are a couple beneficial points of the study:

• "Organizations should be aware of the impact of positive gossip because turnover can be a very important factor in dictating an organization's success. To make employees participate in positive gossip, the organization should do the right things by treating their employees well. Being aware of employee behaviors shows to the employees that management and the organization care about them."
• The study also indicated no relationship between negative gossip and coercive power in the workplace, which was opposite of what they expected to find. They uncovered the point that other employees thought the few negative gossip spreaders are people who just want to complain and put no validation behind their negative viewpoints.
• The study's biggest take-away is, "if you are experiencing difficulty where you work, maybe you should participate in positive gossip with your colleagues and talk about some of the more bearable aspects of the organization. Eventually, that can help you gain some personal power, helping to reduce negative feelings; all of which can be helpful for you in the long run."

• Managers, it's OK to see your staff gathered around the watercooler for brief conversations.
• Employers must treat their employees well and do the right thing! If not, then the majority will be spreading negativity and be detrimental to both the organization and the employee. Employees will not stay where they feel they are being taken advantage of and unappreciated.
• If you are still working from home, then gather around your home watercooler and conduct some positive gossip with your dog or cat; they, after all, are now your co-workers!