Managing Gossip in the Workplace

Introduction

In my current job one of my current goals, as part of a wider programme, is to eradicate gossip. I have seen the results of gossip, I've found myself managing conflict due to gossip and I have been a victim myself. I am aware that this is not going to happen overnight and I am also aware that there will be many small steps that will help achieve this goal, the first steps of which I have highlighted below.

It would be naive to say that an organisation/department/team will run smoothly everyday without conflict; I am realistic and believe that conflict is inevitable and should be managed in order to keep your team progressive and innovative. You cannot go through your daily routine avoiding the difficult conversations to avoid conflict, it is important to deal with the issues your team faces head on. As a team leader your team will have more respect for you and you will also learn from the experience; each time you deal with difficult situations it gets easier. Do not let issues roll on for a long time, this encourages gossip, will ultimately demotivate and could ultimately make your team miserable...'nip it in the bud'.

Dealing with gossip

Before getting into the steps I took the very first thing I did was write to the whole team by the way of a memo. The memo gave them a brief indication of what to expect when arriving to the forum. This will align expectations; minimising any fears and getting people engaged in subject thought. At this stage I also assigned the team a few small 'thinking' tasks to get everyone engaged. My meetings only last for 30 minutes because this is the only window of time I have to minimise the impact upon our customers, but it is enough time to discuss a subject (another reason for the memo; it will get some pre-work done before the meeting).

As the team leader, one thing that is paramount in every team meeting is that you include yourself as part of the team. Do not refer to your team as 'them' or 'you'; use words like 'us' and 'we'.

1. Get your team together in one room
1. Explain to your team why you have arranged this forum.
2. Do they agree that there is an issue with gossip and that something needs to be done about it?
Tip - Use a lot of questions throughout, encourage answers and try not to give out any information, ask them for it. (How, What, Where, Why & When)


2. Define 'gossip' specific to your workplace
1. Facilitate an open forum to first of all define and describe what gossip actually is. See if team members can pull from personal experience or give some specific examples.
2. This will ensure that all team members agree on what gossip is and therefore be able to identify it in their daily routine.
3. All team members should understand and be working from the same definition.
Tip - Have some definitions prepared in order to facilitate discussion. Ask questions based around them, for example, quote a definition and ask the team if they agree with it or not, and why.



A good analogy from a writer called Don Michael Ruiz from the book "The Four Agreements"(p37-42)

Gossiping has become the main form of communication in human society. It has become the way we feel close to each other, because it makes us feel better to see someone else feel as badly as we do. Gossip can be compared to a computer virus; a computer virus is a piece of computer language written in the same language that all the other codes are written in, but with harmful intent. After this code is introduced, your computer doesn't work right, or it doesn't function at all because the codes get mixed up with so many conflicting messages that it stops producing good results.

Dictionary Definitions

1. Rumour or talk of a personal, sensational, or intimate nature
2. A person who habitually spreads intimate or private rumours or facts
3. Team Agreement
1. Make sure everyone agrees on the definition.
2. Define your goals and aims from this discussion - what is it that you hope to achieve? Eradicate gossip?
3. Identify those that think it cannot be achieved, find out what they are thinking and their reasoning and discuss this openly.
Tip - Look out for 'nods' and 'shakes' of heads. This will highlight acceptance...also folded arms or a defensive posture. Even if people aren't saying much, if they are nodding their heads you can be confident that they are listening and agree with what is being said.


4. Agree on the techniques for stopping gossip
Discuss openly with the team, but have some of your own ideas in order to facilitate discussion. For example, if each individual has agreed to eradicate gossip, then each individual should be able to tell their colleague(s) that they do not want to engage in gossip and walk away from it. If everyone is doing this then the gossip culture will soon disappear.
Tip - One thing that you have to remember is that it all starts with the leader. You must be the example of 'good behaviour' and not be involved in gossip yourself.


5. Monitor progress
It is important to monitor the progress of the team and publically reward those who behave in the way that has been agreed. Unfortunately not everyone will learn at the same pace and you will have to privately reprimand those who are not behaving in the way that has been agreed. Remember that the team agreed to these boundaries or rules, so you do not have to appear like the 'bad guy'. In most cases you will be able to remind those who are not working towards the goals about the agreements made and be very specific about what it is about their current behaviour that goes against the agreement. Again, it is important to pick up on these issues early on so team members do no think it is acceptable to behave like that.

You have to be aware that there is a fine line between idle 'chit chat', gossip and bullying and it is important to recognise when things are getting serious. That is why it is really important to challenge issues early on. Small issues build up and eventually become one big issue, which can result in conflict, bullying and upset team members. The focus should be on having a highly focussed and responsive team who all respect each other.

In order to have a fully functioning team the team members need to be able to express their opinion and discuss topics openly.

What's next?

The next step is to figure out how the team members are going to work without gossip and have the ability to express their opinion without causing offence or taking things personally. There is danger that the team may think that they are not able to talk without the risk of getting into trouble for 'gossiping' or personally attacking people.

Managing gosip is one step towards strong communication, and it must be addressed, however there are several topics that the team must discuss. For example, not taking things personally, which will be covered in future posts.

I hope that you have found something interesting here that will help you with your own team development.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any questions.

Thanks for reading,

Chris.

Analysing the Business Environment

An Introduction

Analysing the market your business operates in is crucial to ensure survival, competitive advantage and differentiation. It is important to be able to recognise the soft signals in the environment through comprehensive and continuous analysis.

Effective organisational analysis will allow you to: -

• Scan and monitor the business environment;
• Keep the business flexible and adapt business to meet market needs and requirements;
• Make better strategic decisions;
• Understand the environment your business operates in.

The business environment can be broken into three levels: -

1. The Macro environment can be thought of as 'big picture' analysis considering factors out with direct control of the business.
2. The Micro environment will consider what influences the business directly; buyers, suppliers, competition and stakeholders.
3. The organisation or 'internal environment' includes analysis of internal decision making and change, mostly at the control of the organisation.

The Macro Environment

By understanding the potential conditions in the extended market you can make better strategic decisions. The model that can be used to analyse the macro environment is PESTLE.

The Micro Environment

Michael Porter's five forces model can be used to better understand your position of power and strength of your competitive position within your industry and market. With a better understanding of your position you will be able to make better decisions to avoid taking wrongs steps and to ensure your organisation remains competitive and relevant. This tool will also allow you to assess the competition, prepare you for entering new markets and the risks or opportunities that may face you.

The Internal Environment

SWOT analysis is a basic tool that can be used for making business decisions and change within the internal environment. It can be combined with the PESTLE tool to create an advanced analysis of the macro environment.

Although these tools are simple it must be understood that most types of analysis are static whilst the business environment remains dynamic; analysis must be a continuous process. These models are subjective and it is therefore a good idea to get a few people working on analysis independently. Due to the simplicity of these tools over analysis is a risk and must be managed by keeping analysis short, quick and simple. Also, it is important to realise that these tools will not provide an answer for you although the results will provide a platform to start from.

Please add anything you think is relevant by posting a comment.

Thanks for reading,

Chris.

Managing Deadlines 2: For Managers

As a follow up from Managing Deadlines 1: For Delegates I thought it would be prudent to give some advice a tips for the managers who set the deadlines and delegate the tasks.

Give a clear date a time

Make sure you give the delegate a clear date for exactly WHEN the task should be completed by. You may even want to specify a time. It is best not to say "ASAP" or "at your convenience"...be specific.

Be clear - be SMART

If you give the delegate as much information at the start this will minimise confusion and lots of questions further down the line. It will also allow the delegate to get on with the task and be very clear on WHAT he/she should be working towards.

Give clear expectations and parameters

Make sure your expectations are clear. Mention the standards you expect, what the delegate can or cannot do; HOW the task should be completed

Arrange a time to meet the delegate(s)

Depending on the size of the task it may be appropriate to meet and discuss the task or project before it is fully delegated. This will provide a good opportunity to discuss what is to be achieved and allow for any questions to be answered. You may want to set progress meetings up to check in with the delegate over the course of the set period.

Highlight personal and organisational benefits

By highlighting the benefits the employee will be more likely to buy into the task/project and complete it on time. This will provide the delegate with the WHY.

Note down your set deadlines

You will need to remember what deadlines you set and for whom. You should use your diary or a task list system (Microsoft Outlook or something similar) to do this for you; after you have set a dozen or so it can get difficult to manage. It is important that you do this...especially for those who tend to slip on the deadlines.

Inevitably a deadline will be missed and you will have to reprimand someone. However, if you delegate properly and make sure your message is clear your employees will have a better chance at meeting the deadline with the timing, standard and quality you expected.

I hope this helps you out. Please build on this by leaving a comment below.

Thanks for reading,

Chris

Managing Deadlines 1: For Delegates

I was about to give written advice to a few people that work for me on how to manage deadlines...and I thought "why don't I just blog it"...two birds with one stone!

When you work for someone else there is a very good chance that you will be delegated tasks to complete. Sometimes these tasks may be delegated in a very structured manner and sometimes they may not. But regardless of how they are delegated, what should be clear is that your boss wants something from you by a certain time.

It is important to be able to manage your deadlines effectively for several reasons: -

1. To prove to your manager that you are competent
2. To show that you are well organised
3. To show your line manager that you are committed and confident
4. You will be able to manage your workload effectively
5. When your manager asks you to complete something you will be able to confidently confirm if the deadline is achievable - which in some cases it might not be.

You will know yourself how strict your manager is with deadlines, but here are few pointers for managing your deadlines: -

Put the deadline date in your diary

Note the deadline in your diary and then work back from that date. Schedule in time for when you are going to sit and work on this task or project.

Start the task early

Make sure you start thinking about the task early on. Take notes and gather any information you need. You don't want to be worrying about it 2 or 3 days before hand and then realise you need information from someone that you cannot get a hold of.

Make sure you are happy with what you have to achieve

Take the time very early on to ask your manager any questions in order to clarify your delegated task - make sure it is SMART!

Break down the task into smaller parts

Sometimes it may be appropriate to break the task down into smaller parts and work on each part separately. This will make the task more manageable for you.

Set yourself targets

Once you have broken your task into small more manageable parts set yourself targets that lead up to the deadline...and make sure you put them in your diary.

Get others to help you

Maybe you can get others to help you with certain parts of the task? Not only will this help you out, it may also tie in with individual personal development.

Submit the work early

This will give your manager time to look at the work you have completed, and if necessary, ask you to tweak or amend certain details...there is a good chance that the work you are completing for your manager is to meet a deadline from his/her manager.

Preempt the deadline

In most organisations there are things that happen at the same time every year. If you know when they are then preempt your manager delegating a task to you.

What if you don't think the deadline is achievable - can you say no?

Depending on how lenient your manager is you may be able to negotiate the deadline. If you are already very organised you will be able to show your manager the reasons why you cannot achieve the deadline and he/she may allow you to negotiate your other deadlines based on priority.

It is all quite straight forward and if you are naturally organised you will find it easy to meet deadlines.

I hope that you find this useful and please leave a comment if you can build on what I have written here.

Thanks for reading,

Chris

Setting goals with your employees

When it's time for annal appraisals remember to spend time talking about career development and personal goals. Try to look at appraisals as a personal development tool...key word - PERSONAL!!

Give your employees time to discuss their own personal achievements and goals.
Find a way that you can help and support them to achieve their goals and become successful.

Inspired by this quip from Dilbert:

The surprising truth about what motivates us

Daniel Pink is the author of Drive which can be purchased from Amazon (take a look at my Amazon link on the right hand side - the book is £4.50).

I was gifted his book by a good friend, which was a great eye opener...thanks Christian!

There are two videos below that deliver the same message but I would watch both if you have time. It is very interesting to consider Motivation 2.0 and what we have been used to for many years. We all know that things are changing and we know in our hearts that something needs to change. Dan Pink makes it easier for us to understand what truly motivates people...and FYI, it's not money!

I can personally relate to it all in a big way, as an employee and as a leader/manager.

You can view other RSA Animate videos via The RSA Website.

TED.com

Thanks,

Chris.

Getting to know your employees

Getting to know the people that work for you is great for building and maintaining your relationship with your team. I truly believe that a happy and engaged team will deliver the best customer service. So it is vital, as a team leader, that you get involved with your team and really get to know them. This is not a prescription, this is what works for me. Your approach has to be honest and something that you believe in. Also, you will not be able to win hearts just by doing these things, your message and approach has to be consistent at all times, throughout everything you do.

I hope that I can give you a couple of tools to use at team meetings which, done properly and facilitated correctly, will take you no more than 15 minutes and the information you get back from your team will be rich and powerful. Your role as team leader is to facilitate the discussion and you should not be answering the questions for them, but asking the team probing and open questions to get information out of them.

It is crucial that everyone gets the opportunity to speak, which you can make sure happens, and try to manage the forum so that no one person overshadows the discussion.

What I do is get small teams together of no more than 10 people and perform two exercises to find out what motivates the team and what they truly believe in.

What you'll need is a flip chart or whiteboard, some pens...and an open mind!

Motivators

Find out what really motivates your team. Facilitate discussion around the following questions: -

• What motivates you to come to work everyday?
• Why do you get up every morning to come to work?
• Why do you bother coming to work, and why should anyone care?

These questions are just examples, however, it can be tough to get a response sometimes and that's where the last question comes in. It is a little harsh but gets people thinking about what REALLY motivates them and will illicit a response from people. Money always comes up, because at the end of the day the majority of us need a job, at the basic level, to pay bills and mortgages, but that will hopefully not be the only motivator. What you will hopefully find is that your team actually enjoy coming to work and enjoy the company of those around them.

Team Values

• What is important to you?
• What do you believe in?
• Why do you do what you do?
• What do you enjoy most about your work?

What you are looking for here is what the people in the team believe to be true to who they are, their morals as humans, what they believe is the correct way to behave in their working environment and throughout life.

It is important that there is a general consensus around the points made by the team. As the facilitator you can see who agrees and who disagrees with different statements and it is always interesting to take get step back at the end and summarise the results with the team.

The result

At the end of the meeting what you will be left with is a list of things that motivate your team and a list things that they really feel strongly about and what they feel is important to them.

Example results: -

Motivators	Values
Money (£)	Taking pride in our job
Job satisfaction	Everyone does their job to the standard expected
To be part of a team	We show respect for each other
To meet and interact with people	We take responsibility for our own actions
To develop personally	We are honest with each other
	To provide a great customer service

...but what can we do with this information?

At the very least you have engaged with your team and had some personal interaction with them. They will also be thinking a little more about their job and why they really enjoy their work, which will hopefully have positive connotations.

One great thing you can do with this information is to put it into a statement which represents what the team is all about...for example: -

"Our team love coming to work everyday to provide the best service we can. We all know what is expected of us, we work hard and take real pride in what we do. We truly believe in honesty and have great respect for each other...and that is what being part of this team is all about."

You could print it out and display it in the work area so people can relate to it, it could be their value statement.

You could also reword the statement slightly and use it to attract new employees through a job advert or at another point in the selection process; prospective employees will then be able to really understand how the team operate and be able to decide whether or not they have the same values and can fit in with the team.

The key part of the process is that the team agreed on the points they made together and therefore it is unique to them. It is now clear what it means to be part of the team and everyone knows why they do what they do.

I really hope that you find this useful.

Thanks for reading,

Chris.