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    The Antidote To Office Gossip

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    Suresh Krishnan K
    The article discusses how gossip spreads quickly through workplaces like rumors and how it can be harmful. It defines gossip as casual conversations about absent third parties that cannot be confirmed as true. Gossip is born out of uncertainty, so managers should reduce uncertainty by clearly communicating changes. The article recommends that managers get feedback from employees, promote bonding activities among coworkers, and model ethical behavior to prevent gossip from spreading negativity.

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    The Antidote To Office Gossip

    Uploaded by

    Suresh Krishnan K
    140 views3 pages
    The article discusses how gossip spreads quickly through workplaces like rumors and how it can be harmful. It defines gossip as casual conversations about absent third parties that cannot be confirmed as true. Gossip is born out of uncertainty, so managers should reduce uncertainty by clearly communicating changes. The article recommends that managers get feedback from employees, promote bonding activities among coworkers, and model ethical behavior to prevent gossip from spreading negativity.

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    the Antidote to Office Gossip

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    1613. the Antidote to Office Gossip

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    The article discusses how gossip spreads quickly through workplaces like rumors and how it can be harmful. It defines gossip as casual conversations about absent third parties that cannot be confirmed as true. Gossip is born out of uncertainty, so managers should reduce uncertainty by clearly communicating changes. The article recommends that managers get feedback from employees, promote bonding activities among coworkers, and model ethical behavior to prevent gossip from spreading negativity.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    140 views3 pages

    The Antidote To Office Gossip

    Uploaded by

    Suresh Krishnan K
    The article discusses how gossip spreads quickly through workplaces like rumors and how it can be harmful. It defines gossip as casual conversations about absent third parties that cannot be confirmed as true. Gossip is born out of uncertainty, so managers should reduce uncertainty by clearly communicating changes. The article recommends that managers get feedback from employees, promote bonding activities among coworkers, and model ethical behavior to prevent gossip from spreading negativity.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 3

    The Antidote to Office gossip

    HBR
    Alicia Bassuk || 11 November 2016

    Sara, the CEO of a software company, had recently fired an employee. In a heartbeat, gossip
    about the who, how and why of the termination began spreading through the office grapevine
    like chicken pox in a kindergarten classroom.

    The copy-room commentary was flat-out false. But the buzz quickly infected her team with
    a rumor that more people were on the chopping block, even though this was far from the truth.

    How did the gossip get to that point? Why do workplace rumors happen in the first place? And
    what can be done to prevent them?

    Up to 90% of conversations qualify as gossip. That means it is almost certain that you are pretty
    regularly a rumor initiator or enabler, listening without deterrence. And its not just cafeteria and
    hallway whispers that contribute to the problem: Nearly 15% of all work email can be categorized
    as gossip.

    To be sure, not all gossip is bad for an organization. But the kind that poisons rapport, maligns
    reputations, and contaminates cooperation is what you need to take action against. To do this,
    its important to go back to the basics and understand what gossip really is: casual and
    unconstrained conversation, about absent third parties, regarding information or events that
    cannot be confirmed as being true.

    Gossip is born out of uncertainty. When we are uncertain, we are inclined to make assumptions.
    Why? Uncertainty creates a knowledge void that must be filled with actual, or in many cases
    artificial, information. The antidote, of course, is open and honest communication with your
    employees. Here are a few strategies to try.

    Give Them the Low-Down

    A big change in a company firing a top executive, shutting down an office can be a tripwire
    for explosive speculations if the change isnt communicated clearly to employees. Because
    uncertainty creates a knowledge void, be sure to quickly fill the void with facts before suspicion
    becomes fact. The more quickly you spill the beans, no matter how painful doing so might be,
    the less likely people are to start panicking.

    For example, before seeking to acquire another firm, Joe, the CEO of a midsize consumer
    packaged goods company, gathered his team and revealed the companys financials in great
    detail. Next, he outlined the process for acquisition with a well-defined timeline. In the following
    weeks, rather than counterproductive chatter clamoring through the ranks, Joe saw her team
    become more cohesive, rallying together to pull the company through a challenging and
    transformative time.

    Get the Scoop from Employees

    Katrina, the COO of an international software company, made a decision to terminate her entire
    sales team over the course of a year. It was a move she knew would send the company into a
    frenzy. To mitigate this, she regularly asked questions before, during, and after the process. She
    wanted to know:

    How did people feel about the decision?


    Was there anything she should be doing differently as the COO to make the transition
    smoother?
    How was the leadership team handling the aftermath?
    Was there anything people wanted to know about the situation that they didnt already
    know?

    By asking questions early and regularly, Katrina signaled to her employees that she valued their
    feedback and that they were encouraged to become invested in the process. As a result, she
    squashed the development of widespread negativism within the company, even during a difficult
    time.
    Always Wear White

    Gossip can ruin team cohesion as flagrantly as slinging mud on a white suit. When trust is sullied,
    rancor, animosity, and misgivings can turn a culture of cooperation into a mosh pit of dysfunction.
    To wear white means to be mindful of mudslinging and the more you know someone, the
    less likely you are to malign them. So encourage employees to get to know each other as
    people, not just coworkers.

    You can promote workplace fellowship by:

    sponsoring company events and outings


    conducting creative icebreakers at the beginning of team meetings
    hosting a one-on-one lunch with a different employee each week

    Be a Role Model

    Employees look to their managers as role models and messengers of organizational values. Its
    one thing to insist on conduct based on mutual regard and high character; its quite another to
    demonstrate it. Ethics and empathy should be the tandem directive for conduct. If you model
    integrity in what you say and do, your employees will likely follow suit. Consistently
    communicate your expectations in written policies, verbal exchanges, and meaningful actions.

    In addition, you can block gossip by sticking to the facts what verifiably was said, done, or
    occurred and by being direct. If someone is giving you an earful, let them know you will not
    participate. If they persist, excuse yourself from the conversation.

    Gossip has been undermining relationships since the beginning of time. You can diminish its
    impact by eliminating knowledge voids, fostering feedback, encouraging relationships beyond
    coworker consideration, and modeling the conduct of mutual regard.

    After all, grapevines are better suited for making wine.

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