What Do You Say Communique - Are you a gossip?

What Do You Say Communique -

Are you a gossip?

Back-to-School Edition

September 2008

Monthly eNewsletter

Sarita Maybin

Speaker/Trainer/Author

"Helping people work together better!"

www.SaritaMaybin.com

Dancing with the Stars Cheryl Burke Interview

CLICK ON PHOTO to listen to podcast of Sarita's interview with professional dancer Cheryl Burke for iSalsa Magazine.

Cheryl is pictured here on Dancing with the Stars with season 3 dance partner NFL star Emmitt Smith.

GREETINGS,

It's back-to-school time and you know what that means -- a new season of Dancing with the Stars!

I'm sure that my favorite TV show is NOT the priority for my 11th grade daughter who started classes last week.

However, as an amateur salsa dancer, watching Dancing with the Stars rates high on my list. And, I've been known to gab and gossip about the show's stars any chance I get.

Speaking of gossip, the focus of this communique, I recently did quite a bit of research on the topic. Earlier this year one my clients asked me to include a section on dealing with workplace gossip in my full-day signature program "If You Can't Say Something Nice, What DO You Say?"

I now offer an optional section (30 minutes - 2 hours) on gossip. I'm also trying to "walk the talk" by asking myself - Am I a gossip or am I just "sharing information?" To keep myself in check, I use the three gossip-free guidelines I share in my workshop. See below.

Are You a Gossip?

Check Yourself:

1) INTENTION -

Why am I sharing this information? Will what I'm saying be beneficial or will it have a negative impact?

2) RESPECT -

In sharing the information, am I being respectful of the person about whom I'm speaking? Would I say the same thing to that person directly?

3) TRUST -

What does sharing the information say about me? If I talk negatively to you about someone else, what might I say to others about you?

What can supervisors do to minimize workplace gossip?

I have included below 5 things you can do as a supervisor to minimize workplace gossip. The research shows that simply mandating a "no gossip" policy doesn't usually work. But, the strategies below may help:

1) Create staff awareness of the negative impact of gossip. Make it the focus of one of your regular staff meetings.

2) As a department, come up with a shared definition of gossip. (The three guidelines above are a good start.)

3) Provide training for staff on how to vent constructively. (That's the goal of my "If You Can't Say Something Nice" workshop.)

4) Create communication channels for staff to share and receive information. I still remember the words of one of my first employees when I was a new supervisor: "Sarita, if you don't let us know what's going on, we're going to make something up!"

5) Be the change you want to see, as Gandhi once said. If supervisors are gossiping and creating negativity, they can't expect anything different from staff.

What DO You Say?

Phrase of the Month: "I need your help"

Supervisors can use this phrase when creating awareness of the negative impact of gossip. For example: "I need your help in setting a positive tone for the department by coming to me directly to question or confirm any rumors." And, of course this phrase can be used by anyone at work or home to solicit the support of others. This phrase is especially helpful when seeking assistance from someone who may be resistant.

I look forward to collaborating with you on a staff development or conference workshop in the near future. Hope your back-to-school season is a positive one! All the best, SARITA http://www.SaritaMaybin.com

ps - Feel free to share this communique with your colleagues by clicking on the "forward email" link below.