There are people who gain personal satisfaction from speaking poorly of others. They do it regularly and related to both trivial and important issues. They do it when the subject of their negative comments is not present. It goes without saying that this behavior if bad for organizational culture and morale; leads to the formation of "cliques" in the workplace; and weakens trust, partnerships, and collaborations within the organization.

Several reasons may be the root cause of this behavior. Here are some possible reasons people speak poorly of others:

• It elevates their own self-importance.
• They gain joy from degrading and belittling others.
• They want your (the leader's) attention and affection.
• They are miserable and unhappy and this is the easiest way of coping with their own problems.
• They are jealous of others.
• Etc.

There may be many more reasons, and it is fruitless to try to understand why they engage in this negative behavior. The important point to remember is that those who come to you and speak poorly of others behind their back, also speak poorly of you behind your back. You can be certain of this. People are generally very consistent and rarely change for the better or worse.