In the Wizard of Oz, it was "Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!" Many organizations today are singing a slightly different tune: "Gossip and rumors and hearsay, oh why?"
It is estimated that gossip and rumors within a company can cut productivity by as much as 50%. Of course this translates to lower profits and can negatively impact the company in the long-term. In addition, more employment laws and regulations are being drafted to ensure employees and companies are protected from libel and slander.
The reason gossip and rumors occur in the workplace is usually linked to a lack of clear communication channels up, down, and across the company. Henry David Thoreau stated that, "Nature abhors a vacuum." Put another way: A vacuum will always be filled. If your company has a communication vacuum it will be filled and unfortunately, it is often filled with negative or incorrect information. So one of the most important and lasting solutions business leaders can apply is to constantly keep the vacuum filled with positive, accurate, and timely information.
Following are suggestions to assist you in doing so:
-- Communicate regularly and consistently with employees about what's going on in the workplace. Regular communications with employees minimizes the influence the gossiping employee has over others, because everyone is "in-the-know." If employees don't have good information from supervisors and managers about what is going on, they will make it up in the form of speculation and gossip. On your daily to do list, make communicating with employees a priority even if it is only for a few minutes. The added attention and communications will work wonders in stopping the gossip.
-- Incorporate into your workplace expectations something that hits on not engaging in the spreading of gossip and rumors. For example you might set an expectation similar to the following:
"Do not participate in spreading gossip and rumors, and do not tolerate it from others. Rumors and gossip sabotage our team's ability to work together effectively. It is disrespectful, nonproductive, and a selfishly motivated act that keeps us all from performing our jobs. If you hear about an issue that pertains directly to you, verify the accuracy of the information by asking the person, rather than simply passing on the information."
-- If you know someone is gossiping, tell him or her that you are aware of it. Describe how such behavior results in others not trusting them because, as a general rule, no one wants to be the subject of gossip. For some, this single statement will be a realization that will result in an immediate change for the better. Sometimes the employee doesn't fully understand why he or she engages in the behavior. He or she might not know the full impact that the behavior has on his or her own creditability within the team. Explain what the consequences will be if such behavior continues.
-- During each staff meeting, add an agenda item titled "Rumors." Ask employees what they are hearing on the grapevine. Make a commitment that if they are willing to share what rumors they are hearing and will bring this information to you, you will in turn chase down the rumors and communicate your findings back to the group. Then do it.
Setting boundaries and expectations related to gossip, rumor, and hearsay gives permission to employees to hold each other mutually accountable for having a "gossip free" workplace. Make sure to have ongoing one-on-one and group discussions with employees about the negative impact gossip has on the workplace. Most employees will come to the same conclusion that supervisors and managers do, namely, that gossip is problematic to their workplace and they have some control and responsibility in making sure it does not occur.
Dr. Dan Strakal has been an expert on the changing workplace, job transition, and career development for nearly 20 years. He acts as a trusted client advisor and consultant within the corporate sector, government agencies, civic organizations, small businesses, and educational institutions. He also provides business, executive and career consulting, coaching and workshops for individual clients and is the coauthor of and contributor to two books, Better Job Search in 3 Easy Steps and Better Job Skills in 3 Easy Steps. Dan is often called upon by the national and international media as an expert and has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Self Magazine, SmartMoney.com, Computerworld, Diversity Inc. Magazine, Chief Information Officer (Australia's Magazine for Information Executives), the Radio America Program: News You Can Use, KBS Radio Canada and many other media outlets. He is on the Board of Directors of the Career Planning and Adult Development Network and is a Platinum Member of the Career Masters Institute. More info at http://www.capable-consulting.com
After a full week of training, you are still a... Read More
Positive radical movement is the holy grail of nearly every... Read More
The Cash to Cash Cycle Part Four of SeriesNext: Complete... Read More
Second thought! Just in case. YOU or someone you personally... Read More
It really is about motivation. After all, what impels someone... Read More
With deference to Dr. Covey and his very popular Seven... Read More
As an entrepreneur, hiring an expert can be one of... Read More
In the call center environment we are often only as... Read More
What's the use?Nothing you do will hold down the cost... Read More
For you to get where you want to go, there... Read More
What principles should a company keep in mind when developing... Read More
Many times business owners can have significant differences in management... Read More
There is no substitute for soliciting the opinions of the... Read More
How do you, or would you, communicate with employees who... Read More
Are you uncomfortable with delivering disciplinary action, even involving employees... Read More
There are many reasons why good employees quit and go... Read More
Human beings and the way they interact are extraordinarily Complex.... Read More
All maintenance activities of the workforce must be documented, this... Read More
IntroductionThe role of the Human Resource Manager is evolving with... Read More
I have been working with leading Business Improvement guru, Tim... Read More
In many ways there are no secrets to implementing effective... Read More
A critical task in the succession planning process of any... Read More
In today's article, we'll be looking at the income statement,... Read More
In his book, The Effective Executive, Peter Drucker pointed out... Read More
Meetings can be the life-blood of an organisation or the... Read More
Conservative and staid organisations generally have a harder time implementing... Read More
Much of the literature and advice on implementing business change... Read More
At this time of tight budgets, the mantra of business... Read More
Managing a meeting is like setting off on a long... Read More
Increasing shareholder value is the most important driver for organisations... Read More
If it's so simple, why don't managers all over the... Read More
If you work from home, chances are you already know... Read More
The other day someone asked me for one of my... Read More
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal raised the... Read More
The first step in planning an agenda is to identify... Read More
In a previous life I was a Navy Pilot. Great... Read More
I'm often asked to come in to organizations and give... Read More
The role of a manager is evolving in response to... Read More
One Bad Apple I know what... Read More
SELECTING THE RIGHT PERSON: To whom should tasks be delegated?... Read More
In 1987 I sold my business, South Mountain Company, to... Read More
Over the past few weeks I've been developing plans for... Read More
How many times have you heard or uttered this phrase... Read More
In a management role procrastination can seriously hold back progress... Read More
Globalization is requiring companies to make important choices about how... Read More
The wellspring of confidence is belief. When you believe in... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
As your website grows in terms of attracting more footfalls,... Read More
Many people believe that everyone sees the world exactly the... Read More
Did you know that an airplane in flight is off... Read More
Various studies ? and common sense ? indicate that involving... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
You've seen it happen many times. An organization that provides... Read More
Some time ago we had the privilege of working with... Read More
Inventory management may seem complicated to some, but if one... Read More
Human Resource Employee Risk ProfileIs your business at risk? Do... Read More
It is difficult to pick up a newspaper or listen... Read More
We know character when we see it, but what exactly... Read More
This article relates to the Culture & Climate competency, commonly... Read More
When approaching any decision, it's important for individuals to maintain... Read More
"Must Project Managers be technically savvy?" This topic always seems... Read More
Are your people consistently following your procedures? Each year, organizations... Read More
At some point, your business is going to need to... Read More
Few Decision makers see the link between between creativity and... Read More
"Become the Squeaky Wheel", a new book just published, explains... Read More
As crazy as it seems, some people spend more time... Read More
Business Management |