Dealing with business blabber-mouths

Did you know Bob was the actual brain behind the invention of the wheel back in 8,000 B.C.? No, it wasn’t Chuck, as everyone previously thought. Chuck just happened to be the one who visited from camp to camp, village to village, and cave to cave telling everyone about the top-secret project that would be changing their lives in a mysterious and dramatic way. And while he was at it, he let everyone know he thought he had seen Bob picking up some experimental pebbles with Sheila while his longtime partner Sheena was loyally prepping the logs and stones to roll perfectly. Chatty Chuck enjoyed the attention as he told his stories — while the dedicated Bob worked away to get the wheel project off the ground, so to speak.

Business gossip and rumors have been part of society since the beginning of time. So has the inability to keep confidential information confidential. And we might as well throw in the tendency of some to embellish simple, succinct business matters and decisions into major, intriate, earth-shattering events — i.e., Molehill vs. Mountain.

What seemed like a basic business initiative bound for success can somehow become all kinds of things it isn’t. It can be a source of anger, resentment, and accusations that just spread and grow with every whisper of, “Now, don’t repeat this, but here’s the real story.”

So, how should one deal with the Bobs of the world? They will, after all, be here forever. If a gigantic asteroid were to hit the earth tomorrow, cockroaches, cigarette butts and Bobs would still be here. The best thing to do is recognize the culprits and their tactics and not join their ranks. Nip it. Zip it. Stifle.

Professionalism is professionalism and gossip is gossip. Amazingly, a survey by the American Society for Training and and Development reported 21 percent of workers “frequently” gossip and 64 percent gossip “sometimes.” Portions of these are the ones who can cause serious problems. Hence, many offices and organization actually have policies regarding gossip and confidentiality. This is a well-known tactic of confronting an issue directly and publicly in hopes that peer pressure and stated consequences of such ethical violations will muzzle the blabbers.

Confidentiality is a process implemented to squelch gossip and therefore protect the integrity of a business and its staff. Most gossips are just your basic attention-seekers succumbing to human nature. It’s how it’s handled by everyone else that means the difference between remaining a professional entity or imploding into a pile of whispers, snide remarks and rolling eyes.

The Standards for Excellence Institute explains that “sharing confidential information with unauthorized parties could have significant negative consequences,” and that “Protecting confidential information in your organization will enhance its creditability and protect your organization’s resources.”

It is suggested that business information spread in bits and pieces and out of context can cause serious problems and negative perceptions.

Requiring that the parties involved sign confidentiality agreements on an annual basis can serve as a reminder of the professional and ethical standards to which they are to adhere.

Heavy stuff. But now you know the real story about Bob and Chuck and the wheel.

Don’t let something like this happen to you.

NewsBits

Don’t forget the Third Thursday Gallery Walk in downtown Punta Gorda … Strang, Olsen & Lynch, CPAs, PA, is celebrating a grand opening and ribbon-cutting at 5 p.m. Friday at 334 West Olympia Ave., Punta Gorda … Don’t worry if your lights flicker or experience a brown out on Nov. 21, it’s just Fishermen’s Village turning on more than a million holiday lights … and don’t forget to make reservations with Kingfisher Fleet for your Christmas Canal Cruise!
Go-To Sites of the Week
standardsforexcellenceinstitute.org
library.thinkquest.org
strang-cpa.com
kingfisherfleet.com

(Teri Ashley is the busines s development of ficer f or C entennial Bank in Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte. She can be contacted at TeriAshley@rocketmail. com or 979-2128.)