When is gossip not gossip?

In the corporate environment, gossip is a non positive term ¹, and really implies that what you’re talking about is nothing really to do with you.

This would indeed be the case if it relates to the personal affairs of a colleague, e.g. changing job, pregnancy or something like that, that’s none of your business.

However if something is happening in your organisation and you are not being kept up to date and it could have a solid impact on your future life or career, it is not gossip. it’s a perfectly valid attempt to look after you and those that matter to you.

But that is not how corporations work, or how such companies communicate. Communication on large scale matters are cards held very close to the chest of those in power and thus you introduce an environment of fear, uncertainty and doubt in those that work for you. if I was to advise a truly senior manager on such communications it would be in the form of some simple statements.

1. Your Authority is not stronger than peoples desire to pay the rent: If you as a senior manager tell your team “We will tell you in due course” about something that has a dramatic impact to their job, their livelihood or their ability to feed their family, they are not going to accept that, they are going to continue trying to find out information on their own.
2. If you can’t say or don’t have some key information, then present a brief plan on when you will. : Flip it around, if you would not accept “We don’t know when we will be telling you” from a team member, then what would you accept? , present what you know in that format.
3. Know the difference between an external press statement and an internal communication: Most of the people you will be talking to as a very senior manager will have more information sources than just your statement. Indeed, often they will know more than you on some areas you are talking about, as their information is not filtered. They see it in real life. So understand that when you make a corporate statement to such people they will know absolutely if some of it is being spun or twisted, which will call into question the entire credibility of any statement you might make.
4. Understand how often you need to keep people up to date: When you don’t know something how often do you chaise your team members?, well that’s how often you should be updating them on the big things they are waiting for, even if you don’t have anything, show you are trying and that you share their frustration, be human.

Ultimately, understand that what as a very senior manager you might feel is gossip, is actually just normal people trying to plan their lives and protect the things that are important to them.