No-Gossip Policy?

The minute we create any new policy and publish it, we're announcing
to the world "this is a problem that our organization cares enough
about to devote leadership time to." What could it possibly say about
our organizations, if we installed No-Gossip Policies, except "we
fear what our employees say to one another?"

If an employee says something unkind or malicious to another employee
about a third person and we get wind of it, we can have a quick
coaching conversation to redirect the employee toward a more mature
way of communicating with his or her colleagues.

Instead of creating another policy, it might make sense to look
deeper into the sources of the gossip, to learn which issues people
are concerned about, to understand whether there are just a few
gossipers or a whole bunch of underinformed and possibly frustrated
people involved, and why the grapevine has become more potent and
credible than our formal communications are - and to deal with the
root causes rather than just the most nettlesome symptom. When we
have to start legislating what people are allowed to talk about with
one another, we're sunk!

Cheers -- Liz
http://asklizryanhr.ning.com
http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/asklizryan
www.asklizryan.com

--- In HRPN@yahoogroups.com, melinda104@... wrote:
>
> Interesting. I can't wait to see the policies! I'm not sure how in
the world you would enforce something like this let alone prove the
gossip.
>
> --
> Melinda Moore
>
> -------------- Original message --------------
> From: "Aubrey Armes" <aarmes@...>
> Hello all,
> I am interested in knowing if anyone has a No Gossip Policy or have
> seen one at a previous employer?
> Thank you,
> Aubrey
>