I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE
Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D.

A manager was listening to her CEO complain about how hard it was to get a strategic message to everybody. "Actually," said the communicator, "I'd have no trouble at all doing that. In fact, I could get a message out in 48 hours across the entire company just by spreading a rumor through the grapevine."

The grapevine - Webster's "informal person-to-person means of circulating information or gossip" - is the informal and unsanctioned communication network found in every organization. In my recent research, based on more than 800 responses from individuals in a wide variety of companies and industry, I learned just how the grapevine compares with more formal sources of organizational information. The results pose a significant challenge for leaders - and for the formal communication channels employed by today's communicators.

I asked, for example, if there were big differences in the message delivered in a speech from a company executive or the one heard over the grapevine, which would you tend to believe. Some 47% said they would put more credence in the grapevine. Another 11% would believe a blend of elements from both messages, meaning only 42% would believe senior leadership.

Leaders are "too PC" and "too positive," I was told. "Senior leadership's 'advertising' statements are not always trustworthy," and "I tend to discount official speeches - they're too carefully crafted. I prefer the truth." Also: "Too often they paint a picture of Utopia. What world are they in?"

One individual had her own formula. "If senior leaders don't trust you or aren't confident enough to let you in, only believe 70% of what is said and get the other 30% from the grapevine so you'll be prepared."

I also asked which you would tend to believe if there were big differences in a message delivered in an official newsletter (online or print) or the grapevine. This time the majority (51%) favored the newsletter, with only 40% putting more faith in the grapevine. Putting something in writing, it seems, tends to carry more weight than the spoken word.

"This," I was told, "is the official word everyone waits for. When something is in writing, it is likely to be quoted and displayed as evidence. At least here there is a paper trail." On the other hand, there was the concern that "online or print means it's already been filtered to be PC in the corporate culture. I don't believe it." And one caution to editors everywhere: "I believe what the newsletter says, except for those pictures of smiling employees. I've never seen any of them!"

I wanted to see how much a credibility gap there was in message delivered over the grapevine vs. those heard directly from a direct supervisor. Not surprisingly, 74% told me they would believe their supervisor. "My current supervisor, that is," said one individual. "My old supervisor, no."

People tended to give supervisors higher marks because of the more personal relationship that often exists. Said one individual, "I would believe my supervisor if I could also challenge him. Since your boss can fire you he should also be able to answer all your questions."

I also wanted to know whether you would believe the grapevine or your most trusted co-worker if there were big differences in the messages from each. Personal relationships were again a key factor, with 89% reporting they would believe their co-worker. Trust was an oft-mentioned key, as with the individual who replied, "I don't gossip with co-workers I don't trust."

So much for whom you believe. When all is said and done, it comes down to accuracy, which led me to ask people just how accurate they have found the grapevine?

Fifty-seven percent gave it favorable ratings. They supported their response with such comments as "Management communication usually confirms what the grapevine already knows," and "The grapevine may not be wholly accurate, but it is a very reliable indicator that something is going on," and "I believe the grapevine, but I validate it by checking versions from multiple sources."

On the other hand, how did people rate the accuracy of formal communication? Given the tendency cited earlier to believe what they saw in writing, 67% had a favorable response to the accuracy of formal communication.

Communicators can take heart in hearing, for example, that "Formal communication is generally always accurate. There are seldom any mistakes in it, and people spend a long time crafting messages. But belief or trust in a message is based not just on accuracy. It also factors in completeness, disclosure, transparency, perceived intent, durability of the information, and of course, interpretation. Not to mention perceptions about and experiences with the sender. I think the mantra for today is 'Trust, but verify.'"

As with all of the questions, there was a small percentage of people who indicated that they believed a "blend" of what they heard, rather than choose from among the formal communication channel and the grapevine. This, of course, is what really happens most of the time, which makes it incumbent for communicators to find ways to provide both formal and informal channels for their messages.

One individual reinforced this idea by noting "Both channels have elements of truth that need to be synthesized." Said another: "The grapevine is distorted, the formal is edited, and the truth lies between." And a third: "Formal communication doesn't tell the whole story. The grapevine has all the gory details."

Others indicated that the nature of the message was important in deciding which source to believe more. "If the message relates to major changes and controversial issues," said one individual, "the grapevine has more credibility. In the case of small and administrative changes, the formal methods are reliable. It's all about skepticism."

Another individual echoed a similar belief: "For information of a general nature (financial results, product news, etc.), I trust the formal channels. However, if the news relates to an ongoing investigation, regulatory action or product crisis - then I tend to believe the grapevine."

There was no doubt as to which communication vehicle is the quickest. Some 99% chose the grapevine, which means that communicators are not going to be able to beat it to the punch. The challenge, instead, is to understand how the grapevine works within your organization - and how you can influence it.

Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D. is the president of Kinsey Consulting Services (www.CKG.com) and the author of nine books, including This Isn't the Company I Joined - How To Lead in a Business Turned Upside Down. A popular keynote speaker at company and association events, her topics include "Thriving on Change," "Harnessing the Power of Creative Collaboration," and "I Heard it Through the Grapevine." For permission to reprint this article, please call (510-526-1727) or email (CGoman@CKG.com).