True, there’s no way to completely rid your office of gossip. But you can limit its impact — and quash the damaging rumors before they get out of control.
To prevent gossip and rumors from wreaking havoc on your workplace, managers should supply employees with the following three things:
1. Up-to-date info. Gossip flourishes when employees don’t feel like they’re in the know. One of the most effective ways to prevent people from making assumptions and starting rumors is to provide employees with as much up-to-date, factual info as you possibly can.
2. Involvement in the process. More often than not, gossipers spread rumors because they don’t feel like they’re part of the team. They talk incessantly, make things up and speculate on what they think is going on because they want to feel important. So helping these staffers feel more like insiders can go a long way toward preventing false info from getting out there.
3. Interactions with higher-ups. Rumors tend to spread in work environments where employees are never in close proximity to company leaders. Whenever possible, it’s a good practice for higher-ups to spend some time with employees — whether it’s simply listening to them or mentoring and teaching them.
Readers, what does your company do to prevent gossip and rumors from spreading in the office?