What to do if you become the subject of an organisational rumour

Heard the one about sleepers swallowing an average of eight spiders a year? Or the Great Wall of China being visible from space?

Even when gullible people believe them, these sorts of urban legends do little damage. However, this is not always the case with other rumours. Stories which circulate in organisations can cause real problems, especially when negative information is involved. Think of the effect on productivity and morale when employees swap tales about possible redundancies or site closures.

Yet this focusing on the downside might just be inevitable. It is part of our genetic makeup. We humans tend to apportion more weight to negative information than to positive. It makes evolutionary sense: it is more important to know the whereabouts of a hungry tiger than the location of a field of sweetly scented flowers.

But what can you do if you yourself become the subject of an unpleasant rumour? Nicolas di Fonzo of the University of Rochester offers some advice (Psychology Today, November/December 2008):

DON’T lie. If the rumour is true, do not deny it. If people are determined, they will be able to find the facts.

DO deny the rumour if it is false. Your denial will help in inoculating some people against believing a falsehood.

DO provide a point-by-point refutation. The more specific and concrete you can be, the more likely your refutation will be believed and remembered. Simply saying, “I am not a crook”, without further evidence or information can make people believe you have something to hide.

DO encourage trusted, neutral or independent third-parties to refute false rumours on your behalf. These people can help your case as well as bringing credibility.

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