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<![CDATA[Sound Business Solutions - News & Updates]]>Wed, 16 Oct 2024 08:24:46 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[Minimizing Workplace Gossip]]>Sun, 08 Nov 2015 01:57:22 GMThttps://www.soundemploymentsolutions.com/news--updates/-minimizing-workplace-gossipBy Janice Corbin and Janet May

Regardless of what class we are teaching, at some point someone in the seminar will bring up the subject of gossip and express how difficult it is to try and deal with the gossip and rumors that permeate the workplace. The general belief is that "we can't stop gossip" and that "it's just part of the employee's personality". We believe there needs to be a transition in thinking in this regard. To illustrate this point, ask yourself the question "how does the gossiping behavior impact the workplace, as well as your ability and that of your employees, in getting the job done?" If you are able to identify impacts, than it becomes more than just a personality quirk, and instead becomes something that can be addressed in the workplace.

Typical workplace impacts of gossip include:

Time spent investigating employee complaints specific to harassment, i.e., hostile work environment (complaints are often an outcome of gossip);
Supervisory time that is needed to address employee conflicts and squabbles;
Loss of work time and productivity as employees use that time to gossip, and/or respond to others gossiping;
Missed communications because employees no longer want to interact with each other, which results in missed deadlines or poor work product
Organizational reorganizing or restructuring in an effort to keep a distance between employees who can’t “get along”;
Chronic and/or on-going emotional erupts, incidents of workplace violence, and general poor morale; and
High incidents of “burn out” among supervisory personnel who often become overwhelmed with the chronic employee conflict and emotional disruptiveness that are the results of gossip.
Gossip is the number 1 carrier of negativity in the workplace! Negativity is most often the result of fear that an individual is experiencing. Gossip breeds fear which then breeds negativity.

So, what can be done? Because gossip does impact the workplace as noted above, employers are well within their rights to try and stop the behavior. We believe that gossip is a serious workplace problem that can be managed. Let us clarify, manage doesn't mean the gossip will entirely disappear, but it can be contained to the point that the impact it has on the workplace is diminished. Before controlling gossip, however, we must first define what is meant by gossip and consider why an individual engages in "gossiping."

Gossip Defined

Gossip is defined as a form of communications that an individual(s) participates in for the purpose of discussion, or passing onto to others, "hearsay" information. Gossip is a very destructive, hurtful, and divisive form of communications that often permeates the workplace. There are employees that take great pleasure and spend a great deal of time gossiping and spreading rumors. Known as rumormongers, these individuals often participate in gossiping with other employees because they believe it increases their importance in the workplace and builds their self-esteem. Some employees may view this individual as being the "in-the-know" person in the workgroup.

Not a very flattering description of the gossiper is it? Yet, although we provide training directly to workgroups that are experiencing gossiping, so far we have not had a single seminar participant object to this definition. In some instances we have had some participants experience a realization as they saw their behavior defined for the first time. Participants have actually written on the seminar evaluation form that they didn't realize their own "gossiping" tendencies, the reason they engaged in the behavior, and finally, the impact it has on others. Pretty powerful stuff!

Stopping Gossip

Although supervisors may not be able to entirely stop gossip, they can control and contain it. Here are some tips for controlling and containing workplace gossipers.

Establish a gossip-free zone - Have a discussion with employees, similar to the one at the beginning of this article, about the impact gossip has on the workplace. Most employees will come to the same conclusion that you did, namely, that gossip is problematic to the workplace. This realization sets the tone for individual employees to commit to, and to hold each other accountable for, not engaging in gossip because they understand the negative impact the behavior has on them as individuals and on the workgroup as a whole. You can then can solicit their participation in adopting a "gossip-free zone." To establish a “gossip-free zone” means team members will consciously agree to not discuss others, and further, when approached by someone gossiping to decline from joining in the gossiping. By establishing such a zone, employees agree to demonstrate respectful behavior by agreeing to not participate in gossip and to remind each other of the commitment to not engage in gossip. No one wants to be gossiped about or to have others remark about them in a demeaning or disrespectful manner. This realization and acknowledgement on the behalf of the team serves as the momentum for each employee to make a personal commitment.
Strategize on approaches to use when confronted with gossip - Many employees allow gossip to continue because they do not want to appear rude to the other individual. As a first step, remind team members that the person who is gossiping is being disrespectful to others on the team, and that they are well within their rights to ask him/her to stop. But, to make the conversation more comfortable, it can be helpful if the work group comes up with some stock phrases or approaches to use when others try to engage them in gossip.
Establish Team Expectations Regarding Gossip - Create a workplace expectation that speaks to employees not engaging in the spreading of gossip and rumors. For example: "Do not participate in spreading gossip and rumors, and do not tolerate it from others. Rumor and gossip sabotages the team's ability to work together effectively. It is disrespectful, nonproductive, and a selfishly motivated act that impedes employees from performing their jobs. If you hear about an issue that pertains directly to you, verify the accuracy of the information by asking the supervisor or the coworker involved, rather than simply passing on the information."

A Workplace Expectation about gossiping gives permission to coworkers to hold each other mutually accountable for having a "gossip free" workplace.
Communicate regularly and consistently with employees about what's going on in the workplace - Regular communications with employees minimizes the influence the gossiping employee has over others, because everyone is "in-the-know." If employees don't have good information from the supervisor about what is going on, they will make it up in the form of speculation and "gossip." Make communicating with employees an assignment on each day's calendar even if it is only for five minutes. The added attention and communications will work wonders in stopping the gossip.

Provide conflict resolution and communications training to all employees - One reason that gossip sometimes occurs is because team members are not comfortable approaching each other directly when they have conflicts with each other. But, they also have difficulty letting go of the conflict so they end up sharing their frustration about the conflict with other team members. Ultimately resolving the conflict now becomes more difficult because there are hurt feelings involved. To avoid this type of gossip, it is helpful for team members to understand the value of resolving their own conflicts directly.
Tell the gossiping employee that you are aware of his/her behavior - Describe how his/her behavior results in others not trusting them because as a general rule no one wants to be the subject of the "gossip." For some, this single statement will be a realization that will result in immediate change. Oftentimes the employee doesn't understand, fully, why he/she engages in the behavior, and the impact that his/her behavior has on his/her own credibility within the team. Finally, the supervisor has to describe the impact the employee's behavior has on the workplace and that his/her continued participation in the spreading of rumors and gossip is a violation of the Workplace Expectations.
Incorporate the behavior in performance evaluations - Because gossip has a negative impact on the workplace, it can also be incorporated in the performance evaluation under such categories as teamwork, professionalism, interactions, etc. By reinforcing the non-gossipers in their evaluations, and redirecting the gossipers in theirs, the team will see that you are committed to holding the team accountable for not participating in gossip.

Learn more about our workshop: Minimizing Workplace Gossip

]]><![CDATA[So, Now You're a Fire Officer]]>Sun, 08 Nov 2015 01:14:33 GMThttps://www.soundemploymentsolutions.com/news--updates/so-now-youre-a-fire-officer

It’s not always easy to make the transition from being a co-worker to being an officer.

Since 2001, Sound Employment Solutions, LLC has been working in the public sector, partnering with new mangers to make sure you are prepared for new and sometimes unexpected responsibilities.

We use real life scenarios – many of which are specific to fire service to show you how to effectively manage employee performance and discipline.

In this workshop, we will cover:

·     Elements of employee performance management
·     Difficult conversations about employee performance/behavior
·     Giving meaningful performance/behavioral feedback to employees
·     How to prepare, write, and present a written performance document
·     To solicit employee input, set goals, and improvement performance
·     How to conduct a disciplinary meeting
·     Adhering to employee procedural rights: Weingarten and Garrity
·     Tips for handling “thorny disciplinary” misconduct such as off-duty conduct

... and much more!

Learn More!

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