| That headline deserves an explanation, or else you'll | | | | with a lot of worthless chaff. If you are not plugged |
| think I've taken leave of my senses...or least that I | | | | into the back channel, as well as the official channel, |
| am an off-the-wall contrarian. | | | | you will be isolated. Therefore, you will not know |
| Okay, in a perfect world gossipers wouldn't exist, but | | | | what's going on in the environment in which you |
| we all know the world has its imperfections a plenty. | | | | work. If you don't know the score, you cannot |
| Gossip and gossipers are here to stay. Deal with it. | | | | succeed. |
| A survey by a research firm known as ISR showed | | | | Here are six steps you can take to separate the |
| that 63% of U. S. employees get all or most of their | | | | outrageous chatter from the meaningful information |
| information about their companies from "water-cooler | | | | so the gossip mill works in your favor: |
| talk". | | | | 1. Don't waste your time jousting with windmills. |
| The fact is that every place of employment | | | | Recognize you can't eliminate gossip, even if it is |
| functions with two channels of communications. One | | | | trash; but also know that if you try to shut down |
| is the official channel. The second is known by | | | | the gossip mill you will be cut out of the information |
| various names: gossip, rumors and grapevine. | | | | loop. |
| The official channel is where your employer's version | | | | 2. Tune out the chatter that deals in personalities, |
| of the goals and procedures of the organization, the | | | | especially the malicious stories that do damage to |
| rules of the road, if you will, are laid out. The gossip | | | | people and the organization that employs you. |
| mill is where you hear what your peers think of | | | | 3. Feed positive news into the grapevine at every |
| these plans, along with their assessment of them and | | | | opportunity. |
| those who sent them forth. The rumor mill provides | | | | 4. Be alert to gossip about the workplace. Verify it or |
| more, ranging from malicious and personal attacks, to | | | | rule it out. |
| harmless chatter about who is flirting with whom, and | | | | 5. Identify the most active purveyors of gossip. Rank |
| what's on sale at the local mall. | | | | them according to their reliability and interpret their |
| Separate The Wheat From The Chaff | | | | messages for what they are. |
| I don't mean to be cynical, but the conclusion is | | | | 6. Confront the originator and set the record straight |
| obvious. Gossip will exist whether you participate or | | | | if the gossip is about you and it is untrue. |
| not, and it will include some nourishing wheat along | | | | |
