Did Yuh Hear The Latest Gossip?

"...How would you reduce gossip/rumors emanating from your employees (relating to personnel and/or company activities)?" M.B., Ohio

Let’s face it, people like to talk, so gossip is inevitable. Gossip and rumors can be reduced, never stopped. The formula to determine the amount of gossip and rumors to expect is simple. It equals the effectiveness of management communications plus management’s credibility divided by what certain employees talk about – in spite of the facts.

Since your question suggests your company’s gossip problem troubles you, I suggest you look at why it bothers you? If there are malicious, untrue statements being circulated that are compromising either your firm or your management, then there is true cause for alarm and you need to seek legal advise.

I will offer my answer to your question on the basis that your gossip and rumors are just frustrating annoyances rather than business destroyers. You sound as if you have tried to defuse the gossip but been unsuccessful. Remember, "a person convinced against their will is of the same opinion still." So, if your management is mistrusted by the operators then management must gain their trust. Follow the saying, "Action speaks louder than words" and once again recognize that if gossip does subside, it will do so only for a while.

Here is what firms are doing to minimize idle chatter. First, as more companies realize that their supervisors are their first line of defense against rumors, they pass their planned communications through their supervisors which also serves to give the supervisors continuing education in effective communications. This awareness helps train the supervisors to field any questions or rumors that may surface.

For example, let’s say for some reason a company planned a party. Without effective communications, the moment after the decision is made it somehow employees start spreading the rumors, like . . ."Sure, they’re going to give us a party but, they’re so cheap that we’ll have to bring own snacks and refreshments." "Yeh, and I even heard that close friends and even spouses are not invited." "Etc." Of course none of that’s true but, management now has an uphill, often frustrating battle trying to undue the rumors and gossip.

In the long run, it’s less time consuming and more effective to tell the supervisors about it immediately after the decision is made and before the message is distributed to all employees. The supervisors are given all the facts; for example, why the party is being held, who is going to be invited, what kind of refreshments, food and entertainment will be provided, where it will be held, how long the party will be, and the reasons for any restrictions (such as no liquor, etc. allowed).

At the meeting, management then asks open-ended questions (to get a feel for the receptivity of the decision). Some questions may be; "What do you think the employees might say about this party?" Or, "What is the best way to get this entire message out to the employees so we can minimize misunderstandings and misinformation? Then management listens to the supervisors answers and through a case study training approach keeps training until the supervisors are able to handle the situation with authority. Incidentally, the more the supervisors are trained the less training they’ll need on subsequent, similar situations.

If you don’t do it right because you "want to save time" you’ll spend more time trying to combat the misinformation then if you took quality time in the first place. Asute management understands people like be told beforehand about things that effect them, so the only time they surprise their employees is . . .

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