I’ve been thinking about a lot of things. I’m going to be sharing just one of them.
By the way, a very special happy new year to you! It is my prayer that by the time we are done with 2012, you will find it worthy to say: ‘it has been one beautiful year!’
Ok. Now back to business.
There is a tittle-tattling boss in the office. Sadly he is the big boss. He will discuss anything from personal to business to staff fabrications with subordinates. He will pass round to other colleagues private text conversations that had transpired between himself and other staff. Then he will say, ‘my head is not a warehouse and so anything I see or hear I just have to tell somebody…’
Pathetic! This behaviour of this boss has encouraged a lot of rumouring and vain talk in his company to the extent that there is a lot of disaffection among his staff…same way his head is not a warehouse, other staff’s heads are not warehouses either.
He goes over to one staff and says; ‘Akos, what do you think about Akua…” the feeling Akos gets is this- oo the boss likes me to the point that he is seeking my opinion on another staff. Akos gets excited and opens her mouth very very wide…
The next time this boss goes to another person, Adwoa, and asks ‘what do you think of Akos?’ and this goes on and on and on and on.
Workplace rumouring is what we talking about!
In corporate life there is usually a lot of chit-chatting which start quite harmless but could end up wreaking a lot of avoidable trouble and mess.
Rumour grounds – why would a boss or any other Staff discuss the other person?
· When there is a difficult conversation to be held but because of its sticky nature people avoid tackling the issues head-on.
· When the work environment is unsafe for colleagues to freely question things that are happening or sincerely pass negative comments.
· When the boss is the one championing the gossip due to their naturally unscrupulous and immature behaviour.
· When there is blatant lack of discipline.
Toxic Effects
· Non-performance – colleagues spend paid, productive time rumouring and counter-acting stories about them and others to the point that nothing gets done and the day ends, sadly.
· Resentment – when colleagues find out or have suspicion that rumours (true/false) are being spread about them, it generates a feeling of disaffection among them to the extent that the corporate environment is poisoned, eroding morale and camaraderie and nothing good is ever achieved.
· The originator and even the participant(s) in any gossip lose respect and trust in the work place because sooner than later they are discovered and naturally everybody avoids them.
· Obstruction to collaboration and effective communication - victims get disenchanted and feel relactant to co-operate in teams.
Therapy
As tempting as it is to gossip, RESIST it! It doesn’t serve you or them.
Formulate workplace policy on idle talk and defamatory commentary – this should have the commitment of management and especially the CEO. Transgressors must be promptly punished. Policy must be enforced consistently and fairly across the entire workplace.
Colleagues will have to agree that they have the responsibility of reminding each other NOT to partake in gossip for the following reasons:
· Untrue and/or unhealthy stories
· Slanderous
· Unnecessary
Staff personal discipline and integrity – co-workers have got to remain disciplined and to espouse the ideals of integrity at all times, not to listen to gossip making the rounds in the work place. This will go a long way to distinguish colleagues as professional, focused, decent and trustworthy. These are personal values that can never be compromised if one has to make a mark, climb to the top, and remain there.
Finally, be responsible and responsive! Do not repeat stories or embellish them when you cannot vouch their veracity and/or establish the need for others to hear them.
Perhaps at this point, I may just have to borrow the Prof’s expression: ‘dzi wo fie asem!’
Now boss, don't you dare say 'my head is not a warehouse.' IT IS NOT A VIRTUE.
