STORIES FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
Glasgow Minds. Photo by Miriam Ali, 2022.As someone who worked in fashion magazines for much of my career, the film The Devil Wears Prada is more accurate than many might like to admit. From rubbing shoulders with powerful and famous people, the constant travel, lavish meals, there’s a lot of benefits – but the darker side of meanspirited gossip and hypercompetition is there too.
When I landed the role of Fashion Director at Tatler magazine, a publication renowned for its social pages and long history, I took a few weeks to observe the culture. I was impressed by how hard everyone worked and their passion was undeniable. Yet I wanted to bring in one major change to make the atmosphere more positive and productive.
I gathered my team and introduced a new rule: there was to be no gossip or talking about people behind their back. I didn't want to hear it, as I didn't want that negativity lingering in the air. If you feel the urge, take it outside.
The rationale was straightforward: I'd been practicing Simran, a Sikh practice for the mind that is all about eliminating thoughts to be more focused, and gossiping was its antithesis. Allowing gossip when trying to be focused would be like hitting the gym for two hours, and then immediately indulging in fast food – all that hard work wasted for nothing.
Occasionally people would slip back into old habits. If someone would approach me with an excited “I've got something to tell you” I’d stop them and pose two questions: Is it true? Does it concern me?
Within a month, the atmosphere of the office transformed. People were happy and worked closer together. The space was more vibrant, more buzzy. Other team members in the magazine gravitated toward us, drawn by the positive energy.
For me, it was a beautiful lesson in living authentically, even when it's uncomfortable. Having a practice to create a more focused mind, like Simran, made me more attuned to the influences I was taking in and how that influenced those around me. If it was up to me, the ‘no gossip’ rule would be taken up in many more places.
Other Pause for Thought
