Ban Office Gossip? IMPOSSIBLE! by Karla Brandau

The BBC reporter on the other end of the line wanted to know if I thought you could ban office gossip. I told him it was impossible! Then he proceeded to tell me that Bridgewater Associates, a Wall Street hedge fund group, had issued a memo banning office gossip.

Staff would get two warnings and for the third offence anyone caught gossiping about their bosses or colleagues behind their backs would be fired.

And who is going to catch these people? Do they really want all of their managers policing gossip instead of growing the business? Or do they intend to hire a whole slew of security officers to wire tap telephones and install hidden cameras at desks?

There are two kinds of gossip:

1. Coffee Pot or Water Cooler Gossip. In this kind of gossip, employees can hardly wait to get to the office to gather around the coffee pot or water cooler to find out what happened in the "Nancy and Owen" saga. This kind of gossip is uncontrollable because employees will find some way to tell the next chapter even if it is passing notes under the bathroom stall wall.

2. Pointed Criticism and Denigration. When gossip turns ugly and becomes hateful, management must address the issue. I recommend starting a dialog with the bitter person and getting the issue out in the open. Better to have open even though conflict-filled dialog than let this kind of gossip destroy the morale of the entire organization.

Transparency will work. Banning office gossip will not.

Visit Workplace Power Institute to read how leaders can reduce damaging gossip.

Leadership: Eliminate the "Bully" Manager's Image by Karla Brandau, CEO Workplace Power Institute

I was interested in an article in a recent post in the Wall Street Journal on a new law proposed in New York allowing employees to sue a boss for bullying.

Sarah E. Needleman writes: "Earlier this month, the Empire State's Senate passed a bipartisan measure that would allow workers who've been physically, psychologically or economically abused while on the job to file charges against their employers in civil court. The bill applies to organizations of all sizes, unlike other employee-friendly laws that exempt small businesses, such as the federal government's Family and Medical Leave Act. It also holds employers responsible for the bullying of workers by colleagues and not just supervisors."

Needleman notes that bills of this nature are "politically popular" and 16 other states have introduced similar legislation. The full article can be found at http://tinyurl.com/2fvk2pl

In times of recession, employees may tolerate toxic bosses and coworkers, but as the economy turns around and companies begin hiring again, workers who feel harassed will leave and look for a work environment conducive to increased satisfaction and happiness on the job.

Here are some tips to teach your managers so you retain your valuable workers and eliminate the threatening, humiliating, or intimidating "bully" image:

1. Check the facts before criticizing an employee.
2. Keep conversations with the employee private.
3. Address disagreements or gaps in performance as they occur -- don't save the discussion for the annual performance review.
4. Create a conversational environment for the discussion of viewpoints.
5. Listen carefully to what the employee is saying.
6. Control personal feelings of frustration or anger to facilitate clear thinking.
7. Articulate both personal and employee viewpoints until both agree they have been heard and understood.
8. Make the employee a partner in solving the problem.

Help your managers follow these steps, and they'll not be perceived as jerks and fair game for a "bully" law suit.

The Workplace Power Institute has exceptional programs to help managers work smoothly with employees while focusing workers on organizational goals and increasing performance. Visit www.workplacepowerinstitute.com for more information.

Leadership: A Common Sense Approach by Karla Brandau

Yesterday I attended a breakfast meeting sponsored by Business to Business. The speaker was David Ratcliffe, Chairman, President & CEO of Southern Company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Two things impressed me about Ratcliffe. First, he was very complimentary of his employees. He complimented his employees several times on their abilities and talents. His genuine admiration of his employee's work in making Southern Company emerge as a leader in the energy field was impressive.

In my consulting experience, praise of the workforce and authentic respect for what employees collectively achieve is paramount for success.

Second, I liked his "common sense" message. Often we collect data, analyze, project, slice and dice but forget to use common sense. His common sense approach has kept Southern Company moving forward despite rising costs, increasing demands for energy, an aging work force, environmental obligations and a growing global energy crisis. The complexity of our work world definitely demands common sense. Are you applying that in your organization?

For more information and to access the May/June 2010 issue of Business to Business Magazine, visit www.btobmagazine.com.