PRODUCTION AND MORALE
I think that one of the earmarks of a good manager is the ability to keep suspicion and rumours to a minimum. In my opinion, both can be very costly because they definitely would hurt production and lower morale at our work place.
Many times all it takes to arouse suspicion is a few unexplained facts. Once suspicions are aroused, it is amazing the things people can imagine. To all suspicious individuals, two and two invariably add up to a good deal more than four. This has been our draw back at some modern work places.
Unfortunately, people rarely keep their suspicions to themselves. Sometimes that is started as a speculation, may be further be enlarged and distorted as it passes along the grapevine. I am sure like me you too have seen it happen right in your or your colleague’s organization. We can do something about this to increase the morale at our respective work stations.
How can we avoid this? The first thing I would do is to conduct myself in an open and above board manner, because in my few years of HR management I found that an effective supervisor of people never acts secretively or suspiciously.
The second is to always keep people well informed of what is going on. An efficient supervisor who does this regularly will find his people far less susceptible to speculation and rumour.
The third thing is to be constantly on the alert for things that might be misunderstood or misinterpreted and keep explaining them before any suspicion and rumours can get started.
With a little imagination and by keeping in close touch with everyone, an effective supervisor can usually spot incidents that need prompt explanation. Then take the necessary action to remedy the situation before it further deteriorates.
As long as humans are human, I know that no one can stop suspicion and gossip completely because there would be always a grapevine of one sort or another in any organization. However, good supervisors though can do a great deal to keep suspicion and rumours from developing. They can definitely minimise the damage even though they may not be able to prevent them entirely.
And do not forget that you may occasionally be suspicious too. Nobody is totally immune to this human phenomenon. Suspicions can twist our thinking the same way as they twist the thinking of the people who work for us.
Therefore, when we are suspicious about something, whether it concerns the people who work for us or the people you work for, always remember not to speculate. It is always sensible to go directly to the people concerned to get all the facts for future rightful actions. It surely saves time, worry and ulcers.