Harness the rumour mill
Help your team stay connected - and keep your agenda moving - by sharing rumours and gossip.
News and gossip help keep us all connected. Think about adding a standing “Rumours and Gossip” agenda item to your team meeting:
- What’s going on in the company?
- Are there any interesting or exciting new hires to meet?
- Who’s leaving?
- Is there interesting/exciting/sad news on life events from your team or around the company?
Don’t tolerate any malicious chat: you’re not in high school. But letting your team share news and gossip like this helps keep them all connected to the rest of your organisation on personal level, as well as a professional one.
Put the agenda item at the end of your meeting, both to avoid the chat taking over and to encourage everyone to get through the main business so you can share news at the end.
When to take this action
This action is from 'Keep your ear to the ground' and should be used when you need to buidd trust, when you want your team to gel, when you've got news to share
Need something else?
one-to-ones
Only connect
Don't just talk about your team member's work - tap into what they know, and share your own news.
with-your-peers
Be inquisitive
Share your opinions to form connections, understand motivations, and cement relationships.
with-your-boss
Get the lowdown
Your boss has access to a different world of news and rumour. They might not share, but there's only one way to find out!.