Sunday Setup
A weekly newsletter to help get your mind set up for a positive workweek.
04.20.2025 — Temptation Island
No Solicitors
It's human nature to be tempted by things forbidden. Just the idea of not being allowed to do something seems to raise adrenaline levels in thrill seekers the world over, which can sometimes lead to trouble.
Case in point — Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, a 24-year-old American YouTuber, is facing up to 5 years in an Indian prison for landing on the beach of North Sentinel Island. Indian law bans outsiders from traveling within 3 miles of the island in the name of safety because the extremely reclusive indigenous tribe that's lived on the island for more than 50,000 years is known to attack — sometimes kill — people who come onto their beaches.
Despite their ruthless reputation, Polyakov spent several days meticulously planning his voyage, then spent an hour on the beach blowing a whistle like Too Short in an attempt to make contact. Fortunately — for him — no one answered, so he left a can of Diet Coke and a coconut as an offering.
Not much is known about the Sentinelese tribe, but I'm pretty sure they don't drink carbonated water with high fructose corn syrup. Besides, sharing a Coke and a smile only works with people who know what a Coke is — like the local fisherman who dropped a dime on Polyakov. After spotting him returning from the island, the snitching sailors squealed to the cops, who then arrested Polyakov two days later. Had he brought them a Coke instead, perhaps the fisherman wouldn't have sung to the cops in perfect harmony.
Loose Lips
It's early Monday morning. You arrive at the office a bit earlier than usual to take advantage of some quiet time and get a head start on the day. Just as you sit down at your desk and prepare to get your mind right, before you can even set your coffee down to log into your computer, you get bum-rushed by the office gossip.
"You didn't hear this from me, but Taylor in Accounting might finally be on the way out. And it's about time! I've never worked with someone as woefully unqualified to do their job. I don't know who made that hire, but nepotism had to be in play, don't you think? Oh, and did you hear what happened at the happy hour last week?"
So much for that quiet head start. Happy Monday!
Presumably like most people, I've never had the pleasure of working in an office that was impervious to gossip. There's always one person that seems to know intricate details about everyone and everything that happens in — and outside of — the office, and they can't wait to broadcast their knowledge like a news anchor. But, regardless of whether their breaking news is innocuous or inflammatory, this person can be bad for business.
Sometimes talk ain't cheap. The negative energy that flows from disparaging comments made about co-workers in their absence can eventually erode trust amongst the team. If someone speaks negatively about a co-worker to you, what might they say about you to others?
While participating in office gossip can sometimes feel like a harmless stress relief from an overwhelming work environment, it can also be emotionally draining. If you don't recognize — and fight — the pull to pile on, you just might be complicit in creating an unproductive, toxic culture that's fueled by resentment and cynicism.
So be mindful of your behavior and responses the next time the office Gossip Queen, or King, invites you to an impromptu verbal flogging of another colleague. Try to protect your energy — and perhaps, reputation — by intentionally shifting the conversation to a more constructive dialogue with responses like:
I try to give people the benefit of the doubt because I've had off days. Maybe there's something going on that we don't see.
I hadn't heard that but I don't want to speculate on why it happened. Let's pause this conversation until we know more.
You know, I'd prefer not to continue going down this road. Can we shift gears? What's going on with your project?
Pausing before participating in gossip can help you respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively. And that shift in behavior, minor as it may be, could pay dividends in the long run by decreasing collective anxiety, strengthening office dynamics, and increasing productivity.
At least, that's what I heard at the water cooler.