What's at Stake in the Loop?

The "water cooler" is one of those images that are synonomous with being in the know, a part of whatever crowd you gather with or believe yourself to be and as each hand downs a cup of water, there are power struggles and trades going throughout the group. Who knew such an innocent thirst quencher could be the source of so much angst?

There are those that dominate the cooler. They are Ms Gossip to the "T". They know the demise of the office romance before it even begins and they know the real reason behind Ken in Marketing's lack of promotion. If it's in the inner walls of the office, she is your go to girl. There there are those that seem to lead the double agent life, by day they are Ms. Ordinary working at a series of files; however, at night they live the life of someone glamorous or connected to someone who is. Either way, they have that juicy info that makes you wonder if they should be writing for the Post or the Star.

It seems so effortless. Everyday as the crowd goes everyone throws in their two cents about the day in general but the conversation stops when Ms Gossip and Ms Ordinary enter the group. They know that something scandalous will be shared - in fact it is expected. As everyone goes back to their desks to mull over these comments, it makes you wonder what happens to Ordinary and Gossip? Do they spend a large chunk of the day making sure they maintain their positions in knowing the ins and outs? Do they ever have one of those days where they're off - either there's no news or maybe they had to attend to something else? Is it like in school when the lack of "hot news" made you feel that your position was waning? These thoughts and more entered my head when someone once asked me, "Everytime I ask you something, you always say you know". I wondered and thought hmmm I know a lot of people who know information due to their jobs at various places and they feel the need to share. But have I joined them as well in my need to share a tidbit in an effort to display my "inside track"?

As a closing thought, we all gossip and feel the need to bring info that has yet to be heard to someone. But if you find that you constantly feel the need to make your "position known" just think about how it comes across to others and why you feel the need to do so. You could be like me - I feel the need to share because you initiated a conversation that is along the lines of something that I heard. Just as it can be looked upon negatively when you ALWAYS seem to scoop someone first, the lack of giving out piping hot news can also make people wonder as well. In short, there is no happy medium.

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Kimmie
Founder Sikara Designs
http://www.sikara.com