"I heard Billy's getting fired." "I saw a couple of men in suits in here yesterday, I bet the shop is getting sold." "Did you hear Mary messed up last night's order?"

Gossip, according to some researchers quoted in The New York Times, is part of evolution and the forming of human societies, and, according to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), it also plays prominent role in the nature of work.

SHRM reported that a Workplace Index Survey, "Nature of Work in 2007," showed nearly two-thirds of office workers say people in their organization gossip about company news. "And while only 10 percent say the office grapevine is always right, a total of 66 percent have found it's usually or sometimes accurate," according to SHRM's article.

Manny Gonzales, owner of Tiger Lily Florist in Charleston, S.C., says he keeps gossip under control from the get-go through informing new employees of the four "P's", punctual, positive, productive and professional.

"I inform them that even in a pretty large shop [26-plus employees], when working with the same folks everyday, it can get real 'small,'" Gonzales says. "Let's show courtesy and respect to everyone, and we'll all get along. Gossip is definitely unprofessional, is a bad reflection on those doing it, and makes them look like a petty amateur."

Chris Congdon, manager of corporate marketing for Steelcase, an office furniture design company that commissioned the survey, told SHRM that knowing "how information flows within an organization grants great insight for management and can be leveraged for increased productivity through space planning.

"Look for gatekeepers who can link up two different parts of the organization, or keep them isolated if they're in a negative mode, and design space accordingly," Congdon suggests.

Lisa Greene, AAF, AIFD, PFCI, of Nunan Florist and Greenhouse, in Georgetown, Mass., says the business's workroom is very open so it does not lend itself to private conversations, keeping everyone on the golden rule of good behavior. However, if someone slips, there's one issue in particular that is off-limits.

"Gossip about what anyone makes for wages is a fireable offence," Greene says. "No second warnings, no second chance. Everyone is notified of this upon hiring."

--Kori Kamradt
kkamradt@safnow.org

 

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