| There's an office gossip in every company. The only | | | | as possible. |
| employee who thinks gardening means tending the | | | | 2. Provide as much accurate information into the |
| office grapevine. The person who knows so much | | | | office as is feasible. Use informal (spontaneous |
| you'd swear s/he is bugging your office, and filling in | | | | meetings, lunches) as well as formal (memos, bulletin |
| the blanks with National Inquirer headlines. | | | | boards) means of communication, but communicate |
| Unquestionably, office gossip can be a thorn in | | | | critical information in person if at all possible. |
| management's side. Chronic gossip mongers can | | | | 3. Be accessible. Let employees know they have a |
| undermine morale, weaken authority, and create | | | | place to go with concerns and questions, so they |
| unnecessary stress and tension. If an employee is | | | | won't have to turn to the company grapevine for |
| spreading malicious or consistently false rumors, his or | | | | information. |
| her behavior needs to be dealt with just like any | | | | 4. If you have a chronic gossiper, you need to |
| other company problem. However, don't think sitting | | | | confront him or her directly; let him or her know the |
| an employee down and reading him or her the "riot | | | | rumors have to stop or s/he will be disciplined. Give |
| act" will put an end to the office grapevine. | | | | the employee positive, constructive alternatives to |
| Let's face it, people are going to talk. According to | | | | choose instead of the gossip. After all, people who |
| Video Arts, seventy-five percent of employees first | | | | notice negatives can often help others identify what |
| hear about critical job-related matters through the | | | | needs fixing so that they or their operations can be |
| office grapevine. As counter-intuitive as it sounds, | | | | stronger. Show him/her a reasonable, professional |
| silence isn't always golden when it comes to office | | | | method for approaching the person who has the |
| rumors. The grapevine can be a valuable way to learn | | | | "observed weakness." |
| about your employee. Even when the content is | | | | British author Paul Scott said, "Ah well, the truth is |
| false, as our lead-in quote points out, they often | | | | always one thing, but it's the other thing, the gossip, |
| reflect an employee's fears and concerns. Rather | | | | that counts. It shows where people's heart lies." If |
| than putting your energy into squelching office | | | | gossip is widespread and rampant, chances are your |
| rumors, your time might be better spent steering the | | | | employees either don't know enough about what's |
| flow of information in your favor. Here are four | | | | going on -- or they're afraid to speak up about it. So, |
| strategies that will help: | | | | while you don't have control over what people say, |
| 1. Listen to what is said without losing your temper. | | | | you have more control than you think over how |
| Don't go on a witch-hunt for the source of the | | | | tempted they are to say it. |
| information; instead, correct false rumors as quickly | | | | |
