One problem with rumors is what people don’t know, they will make up. Since people naturally have a tendency to think negative thoughts, they are going to make the rumor much worse than the truth.
If something behind the scenes, like budget talks or layoffs, is going on they get blown out of proportion. If anyone merely speculates on something, it can be spread around like a virus, mutating into something out of control, regardless of the facts. Often a rumor that we hear is more interesting than the truth we know.
The longer a rumor lasts, the more damage it does. The longer you allow it to exist, the worse it will get. Morale will get down. People will blow things out of proportion, make stuff up, extrapolate some obscure unimportant fact into a monster that is totally untrue. They end up scaring themselves and other people.
Try avoiding these phrases:
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“Don’t tell anyone I told you.” That translates into “Hit the broadcast button. We’re telling everyone!”
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“This is just between us.” Because as soon as they walk away, they’ll tell someone else “this is just between us.”
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“Can you keep a secret?” The person asking that question obviously can’t, since the next thing they will say is a secret they promised someone else they would keep.
Those three phrases, when you hear them, whatever comes out of their mouths, you know it will be juicy gossip, you know it will be interesting and you know it will be something you just have to tell someone else.
Avoid closed doors, especially when you know rumors are lurking about. If you know people are talking, closed-door meetings just end up breeding more rumors. When people feel excluded from information, it makes them suspicious. Their natural negative thinking kicks in and they’ll assume bad things. Then they tell other people their suspicions, as often as possible. By holding closed-door meetings, you are telling the excluded there is something secretive (a.k.a. Bad!) going on and they’ll assume it’s about them. That’s human nature.
Try and have face-to-face conversations where questions can be asked and answered. When you can take the time to talk about what’s happening, instead of piece-mealing answers, much of the anxiety can be set aside. Don’t hide behind emails or memos, as they can be misinterpreted without an opportunity for clarification. People always read emails with a negative slant. Misinterpretations of a simple message can set back the entire process.
Rumors can get wildly out of control if we allow them to go unchecked. Knowing whom you can go to in order to get the skinny can be life saving. Don’t spend your time rumor-mongering. Instead, identify reliable sources. It also verifies the wannabes who never have the right stuff.
Or so I’ve heard…
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