Just back from Vancouver and the IABC conference. My speech (“I heard it Through the Grapevine”) was based on research that I recently completed comparing the rumor mill with formal communications channels.
Here are a few highlights from that presentation:
The Grapevine is the informal, but powerful communication medium in every organization. The grapevine is pervasive and, according to my research, highly persuasive.
We can’t stop the grapevine. And we can’t outrun it. Word spreads like wildfire from person to person. And now blogs have become the “grapevine on steroids.”
While formal communications are important and effective, informal channels should not be ignored. Understood and optimized, the grapevine can be a powerful vehicle to align the company around important messages.
Grapevine activity accelerates
* When there is a lack of formal communication.
* Anytime there is an ambiguous or uncertain situation
* When there are no sanctioned channels for venting
* When change is impending, and
* When there are heavy-handed efforts to shut it down.
There is a perception gap between senior and lower management. Lower managers are more likely to recognize the existence, the conditions under which the rumor mill accelerates, and the benefits of tapping into the grapevine.
Managers can influence the grapevine by
* Understanding the conditions that increase grapevine activity
* Respecting employees’ desire to know
* Increasing participation and influence
* Sharing the bad news as well as the good,
* Monitoring the grapevine, and
* Acting promptly to correct mis-information.
The grapevine may in fact be beneficial for an organization
* Some information that people can only get from the grapevine. “If you want to see what insurance coverage is offered, check the brochure or intranet. But if you want to know what it really takes to be successful around here, ask the grapevine.”
* Some information that people can only get from the grapevine. “If you want to see what insurance coverage is offered, check the brochure or intranet. But if you want to know what it really takes to be successful around here, ask the grapevine.”
People can also . . .
* Spot problems and prepare. Compare reactions for appropriateness.
* Identify and seize opportunities early on.
* Build a reputation by positioning yourself as a “hub” in the grapevine network.
* Bond with co-workers. “Gossip greases the social wheel.”
* Weed out cheaters and liars. The grapevine exposes “free riders” – those individuals who don’t contribute, but benefit from the group’s efforts.
* Let off steam.
* Gain power and control. Those who are connected to the grapevine know more about what’s going on their companies than people who don’t gossip.
One study found that employees receive 70% of their information from informal networks vs. only 30% from formal communications. Yet, most employee communications programs (even those employing first-line supervisors) focus almost exclusively on the formal communications and hierarchy, ignoring informal interactions within networks. What would happen if we looked at the grapevine not as a problem, but as an additional communication channel to be optimized?
In any organization, there are a small number of people whose opinions are highly sought and respected. Identified in a number of ways, these “influencers” can be a communicator’s biggest asset.
To influence the influencers,
* Find out what they think, feel and are currently saying about the organization.
* Train them to maximize their communication skills
* Inform them upfront about the back story (the process we went through to come to these conclusions)
* Solicit their opinions, ask their advice and utilize their feedback.
* Influencing the conversation: “You must encapsulate the spirit of your organization, package it in strategic statements and then emphasize those statements repeatedly – so the message becomes part of the conversation.” Paul Danos, Dean, Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business.
The question for communicators: How do we engage the grapevine around conversations that matter?
* Have your senior executives talk about the elephants in the room – the big issues that execs hope nobody will notice or bring up. Addressing these issues will
* Future forecasting: talk about trends and what it might mean for your company.
* Business literacy: You can’t have a conversation about the organization if people don’t know what it takes to make a buck in business.
* Change communications: facts – fast – frequent
* Starting rumors: The most powerful rumors are those based on executive behavior that is symbolic of the message you want to communicate.
Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D. is the author of nine books including CREATIVITY IN BUSINESS and “THIS ISN’T THE COMPANY I JOINED” — How to Lead in a Business Turned Upside Down. She delivers keynote speeches and seminars to association and business audiences around the world. For more information or to book Carol as a speaker at one of your events, please call: 510-526-1727, email: CGoman@CKG.com, or visit her website: http://www.CKG.com.
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