ABSTRACT
Gossip comes in many forms. One resource defines gossip as "idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others". The Collins English Dictionary defines gossip as "casual and idle chat; a conversation involving malicious chatter or rumors about other people". Perhaps readers are talking about a person's marriage, her finances, or what she was wearing when they saw her in the grocery store. Perhaps the information is something someone told the reader directly, maybe even something he asked them not to tell. Conversations with teachers and other staff can and should be warm, engaging, and friendly, but reader, as the leader, must guard carefully against letting those conversations include unnecessary gossip. Gossip is a trust buster for many reasons. Participating in gossip communicates to people that the readers are willing to sacrifice, or at least risk, someone else's feelings or well-being for the sake of a good story or a laugh.
