Good Gossip

Sep. 2, 2010 4 Comments Posted under: Lead Well

Water club
Can gossip possibly benefit an organization?

The mere thought runs counter intuitive to every visceral reaction one has to the idea of gossip.  Surely this was a lesson that everyone was taught in their elementary days?

So what do you think about this recent Harvard Business Article by Giuseppe “Joe” Labianca concerning new business research findings:

“Gossip can be very helpful to people in organizations, especially when the flow of information from the top gets choked off, as often happens when companies are in crisis or undergoing change. If a few people know what’s really going on, gossip becomes the means of spreading that information to everyone else. What’s more, research shows that gossip often reduces individuals’ anxiety and helps them cope with uncertainty.”

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*Giuseppe “Joe” Labianca is a Gatton Endowed Associate Professor of Management at the University of Kentucky’s LINKS Center for Research on Social Networks in Business

“Negative gossip is a symptom of a larger organizational issue. You should focus on resolving it and on increasing communication and showing that the information you give out is truthful.” Labianca

What do you think?  Is there such a thing as “good gossip”?

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 at 7:00 am and is filed under Lead Well. You can leave a comment and follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

  • Jenniferd

    Gossip has such a bad connotation-it is hard to think of it as productive. But the author sites some very good points. I know that if the team i am leading gossips-they must not feel confident enough to come to me directly. In that case, gossip should be viewed as a barometer for how well a team is running….Makes me ReThink the idea of gossip entirely!

    Great post!

  • joybow

    I think I should give you a prize for being the only leader willing to engage in the topic so far! :) It's interesting to think about —

    Is all 3rd party information gossip? Or is it only gossip if it is a malicious rumor and untrue? Either way, seems like the best way to diffuse it's power is to lovingly find the truth and address it… And…According to the article… make sure you are communicating plenty of truth yourself so there is no need for others to be distressed.

  • debbie atteberry

    very interesting…I once worked for a company where everything the boss didn't want you to discuss was labeled as “gossip”…basically, we were not allowed to tell the truth…which destroyed trust…which caused stress…ugh!

  • joybow

    Hi Debbie — thanks for the comment! Sounds like that was a difficult situation and a vicious cycle. yikes. I'm sure many can relate. Ignoring situations definitely doesn't help matters. Funny how it all comes back to communication. (or the lack thereof) :)