Managing Workers In The Rumor Mill Advice From Dale Carnegie Training's Peter Handal On How To Handle Rumors About Your Ceo

(Monday, April 12, 2004) - Many of us have been here: you like your job, like the company you work for and admire your CEO. Then you discover a rumor that he's leaving for another job or, worse, is being replaced.

Managing employee morale is always a priority and often a challenge for executives today: Economic uncertainty and slower-than-hoped-for job growth have created restlessness among employees, top management and shareholders. Add to this the fact that most company leaders are under a looking glass and sometimes hear rumors of their potential ouster and replacement CEO in the media, and you have a work environment ripe for discord and tension. "It's dreadful for any chief executive to work amid rumors that their own job is on the line," says Peter Handal, President and CEO of Dale Carnegie Training, "and sometimes those rumors become reality and companies suddenly find themselves without a leader. The result: employee morale and motivation takes a huge hit."

There are enough factors today that create uncertainty in the workplace, and speculative reports that your CEO is about to leave present a major challenge for managers trying to maintain their staff's positive attitude. Addressing the problem immediately and directly is the first big step according to Peter Handal. "If you know your staff is hearing rumors or reading news that the CEO is about to step down, talk to your employees," says Handal. "The goal here is not to substantiate the rumor, but to acknowledge it and reemphasize the existing workplace agenda or productivity and growth."

Handal says that addressing the situation could be as simple as "I'm sure you've been reading reports that our CEO is leaving. I don't know any more than you do, but I want you to know we still have a job to do and have to do it well." Ignoring company rumors of this magnitude is unwise, can lead to an atmosphere of distrust and implies that you as a manager don't realize your employees have access to news or important word-of-mouth. "The worst thing a manager can do is ignore rumors on this level," says Handal.

Today, Internet news sites and the consequent scrutiny directed at company leaders have added another factor into the management mix. Timely, honest communication is a manager's best tool for working under these circumstances, says Handal.

Additional steps to follow when the future of your CEO is in question:

Have employees make a list of what they love about the company, and weigh all the reasons they enjoy with job. We work at a company for many reasons, reminds Handal, who suggests weighing the possibility of a new CEO against the many other reasons anyone enjoys their job.

Prepare your employees for the possibility of change. This entails communicating with them honestly, understanding their current frame of mind, cultivating new ideas for management and growth, remaining positive and emphasizing the employee's successes and long-term goals.



About Dale Carnegie Training
Dale Carnegie Training (www.dalecarnegie.com) is a global management training company with experts in corporate management, workplace issues and leadership trends. The company provides leadership, sales and management training in over 400 of the Fortune 500 companies, training over 6 million adults worldwide.

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