| A wise person once said, "Extraordinary people talk | | | | Gossip can act as an early warning system that |
| about ideas, average people talk about events, and | | | | prompts leadership to sharpen their message and |
| little people talk about other people." Yet, here are 5 | | | | provide training. Indeed, alert managers will respond |
| Cool Ideas on why gossip is good for you. | | | | to hidden agendas, malicious communication and |
| 1. Gossip is the hallmark of a healthy organization. | | | | insidious "Chinese whispers." The Chinese Whisper |
| Silence is a scourge that represents apathy and | | | | Phenomenon occurs when original messages are |
| indifference. In its healthiest form, gossip indicates | | | | twisted beyond recognition as they are relayed |
| that people are taking an interest in what's going on. | | | | through the communication chain. |
| True, not all gossip is grounded in reality, but neither | | | | 4. Gossip withers in an environment of checks and |
| are brainstorming sessions and the resulting | | | | balances. |
| innovative ideas. | | | | A diversified social network encourages people to be |
| 2. Gossip is not bad when it exposes liars and frauds. | | | | forthright and less gossipy. Pity the employees who |
| W. Mark Felt, Washington's "Deep Throat," was a | | | | still don't know that it is illegal to purposely convey |
| gossiper. His serial gossiping with Carl Bernstein | | | | false information at work. It's plain stupid to do so via |
| exposed improprieties of the Nixon administration and | | | | e-mail, voicemail or blogs, which conveniently provide |
| eventually brought down the President. | | | | an electronic trail back to the gossip. |
| 3. Gossip is an early warning system. | | | | 5. Use gossip to get people talking about you. |
