I have been dealing with a lot of gossip and backstabbing from a group of 2-3 other adults in a volunteer group in our area. They have been vying for control of a neighborhood project and, I guess, see me as a threat. I realized this was happening after I went to 5 different parties/ events and saw the evidence of gossiping and lies being told about me. One woman I know started to talking to me about gossip about me without realizing the gossip was about me. haha!
I can’t even remember the last time I had to deal with stuff like this and have no skills to handle it. I am unsure how to proceed. I decided to just avoid these people in the future and kill them with kindness when I do see them.
However, I am worried though about my reputation in the neighborhood. How do I handle this without seeming defensive? Should I confront the backstabbers when I have the opportunity or just ignore them? I can’t go anywhere without facing this gossip. If I try to explain myself I feel like it seems defensive and give credibility to them. I don’t know exactly what they are saying but it is meant to discredit me to the neighborhood and the volunteer group.
How do I handle this without becoming a pariah?
Edit: I had been pushing internally for more financial oversight and to allow new members so this is a sort of retaliation.