Preventing gossip

[Jamisjockey]

I'm just wondering if anyone has come across any good workplace type materials on the subject of preventing gossip.  My wife manages a team of about 200 women in a direct sales business.  A loose hierachy where advice and training is given, but there is no true "boss".....its a perfect recipe for gossip....

[The Rabbi]

I'd recommend the Chofetz Chaim on Shmiras HaLoshon but I don't think his perspective will play well to a modern audience.

[wingnutx]

Take off and nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

[SpookyPistolero]

I work in an environment of almost entirely women. It is literally impossible to prevent gossip from happening. Anymore, I'm defeated before I even walk through the door, they've already built up mounds of judgements about statements I've never even made. I already tried fighting the fire as much as possible, but you'll dig the hole deeper. I can't be done.  

These days I just try to minimize self-disclosure (difficult for me for some reason) and never, ever, ever make a negative statement of any kind about another person who works there. Even something as innocuous as 'it was funny to me when Jane did X yesterday' will turn into 'hey, did you hear that Spooky hates Janes guts?'

I didn't even use the name of my boss when speaking to her about how things operated at another store I worked at, and the next day people were talking about how my boss said I called her horrible at her job. What???

When I'm running my own place, it will be an almost entirely male staff.

[charby]

Need to create a zero tolerance policy at the worksite and at work realted activities off site.

[Declaration Day]

My brother works at Lear Corp with mostly men, and the stories he tells me aren't any better.  He says each morning when he walks into work, he feels like he is back in high school.

[Perd Hapley]

Need to create a zero tolerance policy at the worksite and at work realted activities off site.

A war on gossip, besides limiting essential freedoms, will waste money, create a black market with more dangerous gossip at high prices, and lead to a police state.  

Just get out the sutures.

[Art Eatman]

Any organization with more than two employees will have unending gossip and rumor-mongering.  It matters not if it's all-women, all-men, or a mix.  However, with only two employees, the gossip will then be about the boss, and it can be ignored if deadlines are met...

, Art

[grampster]

Fistful,
Your slip is showing!  

[Tallpine]

Prevent gossip........

Move out in the hills somewhere and live by yourself and don't talk to anyone.

Of course people will still talk about you ("the weird hermit") but at least you won't have to hear it

[280plus]

Very simple, take away the water cooler and make sure there isn't a wooden fence within 250 yards of the place.

[Jamisjockey]

There are some humorous and interesting replies here that's for sure!
I guess what I'm trying to accomplish is some sort of materials to add to the training materials we pass out that reminds people to choose thier words carefully when dealing with others, as they might go run thier mouths and begin a gossip train.

[Fjolnirsson]

How about a big poster with this on it:



Hang one in each cublicle, somewhere they have to see it several times a day.

[Jamisjockey]

No cubicles.  Really its a bunch of independant contractors that are linked together through the hierachy of the company.  
Really what I'm trying to come up with is just a short handout on gossip.  Not going to end the world if I don't find it.

[Standing Wolf]

I've heard it said intelligent people discuss ideas; ordinary people talk about things, and dummies gossip.

[280plus]

Here's a little something I found. Type in gossip prevention or prevent gossip, stuff like that. Then weed out the chaff.

http://careerplanning.about.com/od/bosscoworkers/a/gossip.htm

heres another under "office gossip"

http://hodu.com/about-gossip.shtml

[Harold Tuttle]

In these days, when CFOs, the HR staff and department managers
are working in unison to create a financial nirvana for the elite,
what do you expect the under folke to do?

Work harder and shut up?

More posters that say;
"Let them eat cake"
is a great idea, Boss.

I need to leave early tonight,
my "team building group" is collecting pitchforks and torches for a charity event.

[charby]

lets see...

hmmm perhaps signs that say this?

Gossip is slander and you can have you ass sued off for slander. So, you want to be the first test subject?

Now quit talking about Betty Lou and her addiction to a chocolate Ibuprofen vodka cocktail and get back to work.

[Jamisjockey]

lets see...

hmmm perhaps signs that say this?

Gossip is slander and you can have you ass sued off for slander. So, you want to be the first test subject?

Now quit talking about Betty Lou and her addiction to a chocolate Ibuprofen vodka cocktail and get back to work.

Ah if only it were that simple......
this is more like "Jane keeps giving me the wrong information, I wish June was my manager instead" which gets back to Jane as "Kate hates you and says you suck as a manger"
I'm working on reading those about.com articles that were posted, but I might just start working on my own material.

[charby]

So its the telephone game where your wife works.. nice. Time to make up a big pan of exlax brownies and just leave them on the table in the break room.

[El Tejon]

Impossible, cannot be prevented.  Gossip is part of our ape past.

[StopTheGrays]

Just fire someone for gossiping(sp?). Then fire one more for the same reason. After that send out a memo explaining why these people were fired and and how that behavior is mot to be allowed any more.

[Guest]

Install a giant white board on one side of the office and write down every piece of gossip that is going around and the names of who said what. Gossip is like mold, it does best in the dark, throw in some direct sunlight and it just shrivels up.

[Jamisjockey]

Thanks for the input guys.
This is not an office setting.