August 24, 2008Ask Meryl ~ Gossip in the ranks

Meryl,

I am at the upper managerial level in government. My workers seem to believe that it is okay to pass on false information and rumors, that eventually get passed to higher headquarters. There is a problem here, as they circumvent the whole chain of command.

I find this disconcerting, as they have every right to go over my head, but not to make false or unfounded accusations against me and my management staff.

The Government looks down on retaliation, so I have to be careful how I handle the situation. I have started by enforcing the policies and regulations already in effect. The personnel are, of course, calling it harassment.

My question is how do I deal with the false and unfounded accusations against me? Is there some sort of legal retaliation for making a false statement? Word around the Store is that the person starting the rumors knows they are not true, but I do not wish to make it appear as though we are singling her out, as everyone has perpetuated the rumor mill. Should I make an example of this person?

Your help and guidance is requested and I hope it will offer me some form of relief.

Meryl Responds,

It sounds to me like you have a whole culture of gossip to reckon with here.

Have a department-wide meeting and say,

It has come to my attention that we have a gossip problem in our organization. I will not tolerate gossip. Listening is participating and if anyone attempts to share rumors with you, either stop them and say you don’t want to hear it, or invite them to come with you to me or the appropriate level of management to address the veracity of the claims directly. From this moment on I will enforce the policies and regulations regarding these infringements.

Be aware that gossip often results from environments where information is withheld. In the absence of information, people make stuff up. If this could be a contributing factor, say:

I apologize for any role I played in this problem by not updating you regularly. I will make every effort to provide you with reliable, accurate information to minimize the speculation. I invite you to address any concerns you have with me directly.

If you think it useful, address the accusations directly. Tell the group some of the accusations you’ve heard and what the reality is. You might even add levity by making something absurd up and throwing that in the mix. Something like your mother wearing army boots and your father being raised by wolves. Do that kind of thing with caution – but it could lighten the mood and endear people to you.

Include your emotional response. That might mean saying, I feel betrayed, I feel disappointed by the lack of loyalty – whatever you experience. That will put a human face (yours) on the picture.

I don’t know about legal remedies regarding false statements. But I bet my readers do!

Good luck. I’m really sorry you’re having to deal with this.