Excerpted from the Executive Report: Managing Gossip: What You Need to Know to Keep the Rumor Mill in Check.
Gossip and rumors spread much like any sort of disease - from one person to another.
But just like a viral or bacterial infection, some people are more susceptible to the invading germs, and others are more active in spreading them. It's important for managers to identify these individuals so the spread of gossip and rumors can be contained.
An experienced manager will be able to spot a gossipmonger or rumor mill feeder more easily than will a new boss. But any manager can learn to identify the telltale traits of these folks.
To prevent or stop office gossip, a manager must first understand the personality profile of an employee who spreads information about others.
Very often, the person who is a gossip monger is also a person with an unsatisfied ego. The need to feel important or the need for power, coupled with a weak value system, can add up to the kind of person who uses gossip as a way to ingratiate himself or herself with others. By offering up valuable information, this person feels needed, valuable and indispensible to others.
Most gossipers are flat-out attention seekers. They want to draw attention to themselves to feel connected and powerful within an organization.
If knowledge is power, displaying that knowledge will demonstrate the gossiper's powerful profile.
DIGGING DEEPER
You can't keep employees from gossiping, but you can keep it from getting out of control and even use it to benefit your organization. Find out more in the Executive Report: Managing Gossip: What You Need to Know to Keep the Rumor Mill in Check.
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