I Heard it Through the Grapevine

An organization acts quickly to prune the rumors

"I experienced an example of the grapevine getting out of hand not too long ago. We hired a consulting firm to conduct a market comparison of staff salaries. Soon after a rumor started circulating through the organization that a specific group of professionals were going to have their salaries cut back as a result of the market comparison.

"The rumor was not true and staff who should have known better didn't ask their managers. Instead they became part of the grapevine. The rumor spread like wild fire.

"What did we do to "prune" the grapevine? We called an emergency staff meeting the very next day after the leadership learned about the rumors. At the staff meeting we addressed the issue up front - candidly, politely, and firmly. All staff members were provided with the facts and given an opportunity to ask questions.

"The rumor was stopped cold. People appreciated knowing the truth. Even more importantly, what they were told is exactly what subsequently happened. Trust and credibility were reinforced.

"What could have happened if we hadn’t dealt with the situation promptly? How would employees feel? Or, what if we told them there would be no salary cuts and then there were cuts? How would it affect the organization? None of it would have been positive. As it was, it turned out to help strengthen the organization."

Sandra comments:

"I Heard it Through the Grapevine" was a great song, but grapevine communication is a poor substitute for a well planned communications strategy.

People will turn to the informal grapevine as a source of information in any organization. It's uncontrolled, fast, and incredibly effective. Regardless of what you do it will always be there. The problem is the grapevine is often inaccurate. Even if the basic premise of the information is correct, it may be incomplete or the reasons behind the action or decision may not be evident. The grapevine, when left to grow out of control, can be a dangerous thing.

The grapevine will grow to fill a gap left by an inadequate communication program. It can even thrive in an organization where communication is generally pretty good as was the situation in this case study.

What I like about this case is that not only did the company step in and say the right things quickly, but they followed through exactly as communicated to the staff. They did the right things too.

Leaders in any organization need to be aware of the grapevine and ready to prune it when necessary.

If you have an out of control grapevine and don't know what to do to get it under control, seek help from a professional communicator.

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