“Given the economy right now, it’s easy for rumors to get started,” said Dennis Hoppe, owner of New York-based Change Management Implementation, Inc., a consulting firm. “People assume the worst, and in many cases their fears are validated.”

I found this quote from 2003 and it still rings true today. Many experts say that it is a lack of communication that sparks rumors, particularly about the direction a company may be going. I recently went on a cruise to the Bahamas. When I returned, I learned that the General Manager at my company was recently said to have moved on to other opportunities. However, the acting GM that replaced him is well known as the man who transitions companies in a totally new direction or prepares them for a sell-off or shutdown. So, needless to say the rumor mill is in full swing.

Very swiftly, the rumors reached executive levels of management, and senior leaders and their direct reports were given their ‘talking points’. However accurate these talking points may be, the absence of more specific information invites people to make up their own versions of reality. So what do us in middle management do?

Whether or not the rumors are true, the affect of rumors on companies, employees and clients and customers are negative. Productivity drops, people loose interest in their jobs, and if rumors are not addressed, morale drops off. If management tells you one thing, and then another happens, faith in management is lost and some will begin to look for new jobs.

Experts say that the best way to handle rumors, even if the rumor is true, is to communicate as much information as possible. People are naturally resilient and are adept at handling news, even if it is bad. If you do not have any information to share, then do not engage in the speculation with subordinates.

Regardless of the rumors, our personal integrity should rule the day. As middle managers we may not be on the inside track to what is going on in the executive conference room, but if we continue to work as hard and demonstrate worth by continuing to do our best, then we very well may be noticed as the type of employees that would be valuable to keep through any transition. I’ll let you know where I land, but until then, it is business as usual.