Wait Til You Hear This

Wait ’Til You Hear This

In the Stone Age, a person’s survival depended almost as much on his or her ability to harvest information as it did on gathering nuts and berries, according to Nigel Nicholson, a London Business School professor of organizational behavior. Gossip, Nicholson argued in a Harvard Business Review article, has become part of our mental programming (“How Hardwired Is Human Behavior?” by Nigel Nicholson, Harvard Business Review, July–August 1998, pp. 135–147). Whether or not you believe in such theories of evolutionary psychology, it is hard to argue with gossip’s staying power in our culture. In today’s business world, the grapevine twists and turns through every organization, spreading rumors like chaser lights on a Christmas tree.

Gossip can be very tempting. It sometimes slips from one’s mouth while one is carelessly chitchatting. Other times it is more calculated, and the people engaging in it are trying to show that they are powerful and in the know. Habitually revealing personal or sensational facts about others can ruin a good reputation—your own. And gossip can seriously undermine workplace relationships.

Gossip also can be an indicator of a workforce that is bored. On a slow day, ears perk up to conversations that begin with something like, “You heard about Al, didn’t you?”

Gossip also can run rampant in workplace environments in which management is reluctant to address issues head on, leaving employees feeling frustrated because they cannot reach closure on important career-related issues. In these cultures, employees can see coworkers as obstacles rather than team members. Personal talk about someone or an employer has become part of the way we communicate. Especially in work environments in which management is not always forthcoming with information that may affect jobs, people often rely on the informal communication grapevine. Thus the line between ethical business information and unethical gossip has weakened.

But where should you draw the line if you are trying to build credibility? First, determine whether you are participating in this form of destructive comments by asking yourself

1. Do I initiate discussions about coworkers’ job performance or personal lives?

2. Do I repeat second-hand information?

3. Do I reveal personal conversations?

4. Do I sometimes offer confidential information to another because I feel that as their “friend,” I should tell them?

The unofficial flood of communication may run forever in organizations, but engaging in or encouraging petty and malicious gossip makes one appear untrustworthy and not credible. If you answered yes to any of the preceding questions, then you may have a problem. What many people do not realize is that constantly talking about others—even if your anecdotes sometimes add value and reveal others’ good attributes—can make you appear like a gossip. For example, if your story about Jane’s uncompromising dedication also reveals, within context, her ensuing divorce and troubled teenager, you have revealed personal information about Jane. Be careful. Weigh your words just as you would if the person being talked about were standing right there with you. You also will want to stop listening to gossip if you want to keep your reputation untarnished. Watch out for the coworker who gossips for your benefit: “I just thought you should know.”

When having a conversation with someone who begins to talk about another person who is not present—a boss, a colleague, another clerk, or a board member—that person might use phrases like “Let me be honest here . . . . I probably shouldn’t say this but . . .” or he or she might assert, “And I’d say the same thing about Sheila if she were here.” Such assurances often ring hollow and only leave listeners wondering, “Geez, what does this person say about me when I’m not around?”

If you are a leader, you have responsibilities beyond yourself-in controlling gossip. Gossip not only creates a very negative workplace and pits employees against one another, but it also can invite legal repercussions. Managers who share personal information about employees could get sued for defamation, a privacy violation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (revealing a disability to people who do not need to know) or a violation of an employment policy, such as how investigations are conducted “confidentially.”

Leaders can take control of gossip in their organizations by doing the following:

• Spread information beyond the top circle. Arm your managers with information, and let them, rather than just the senior team, deliver messages. This is powerful. Make sure that everyone has access to the same operating metrics, financial data, marketing plans, and sales forecasts. The more people understand what is really going on, the less they have to guess—and gossip—about.

• Do not underestimate their intelligence. As tempting as it is to gloss over issues because “people won’t understand,” do not do it. It is a cop out—and it is your job to help everyone understand. Frontline employees may not have engineering degrees, but they will get it if you show them the new product’s problems and what the company’s challenges are in fixing them. Open communication will quell gossip.

• Go on a weekly tour. Too much distance between those at the top and those closest to the work is fertile ground for misinformation and unproductive speculation. Do not be inaccessible or unwilling to listen. Go to their work areas and dish dirt. What rumors are they hearing? What’s on their minds?

• Take hold of the rumor. Gossip is likely here to stay, but often rumors can be squelched before they take on a life of their own and zap people’s energy and focus. If you get wind of a rumor, assess the negative potential, and then address it immediately, perhaps with 15-minute sessions or informational letters and voice mails with the right audience.