How to manage rumours?

Did you know that the human mind can actually lead you to remember a false statement as true by hearing that it’s false? With the fast-paced lives we all lead, that oddly makes sense to me.

I recently learned of Nick DiFonzo, Professor of Psychology at Rochester Institute of Technology, one of the leading experts on rumor research and the book he co-authored with Prashant Bordia, Rumor Psychology: Social And Organizational Approaches. In the book, they investigate how rumors start and spread, the accuracy of different types of rumors and how rumors can be controlled, particularly with propagation across media outlets and within organizations.

Personally, I find it fascinating to see how quickly rumors can spread with the mindless push of a send button on an email, Twitter, on blogs and surprisingly at times, by the professional media.

People with knee-jerk reflexes and no filter can become a nuisance with nothing really to say and load our Inboxes and Tweets with nonsensical items of trash about others, so-called news and hearsay – “news we can’t use.” For many others, they’re calculated and intent to ruin lives or businesses. You can see this happening at some industry networking events, meeting up with others to talk shop, or over lunch.

First let me frame why DiFonzo says people spread rumors and reasons people believe them with these quick points:

People spread rumors in many cases to:
- Fact find – find out the truth.
- Engage or enhance the relationship with the person listening to the rumor.
- Build up their self-esteem.

People usually believe rumors for the following 4 main reasons:
- The rumor agrees with something a person already holds to be true.
- It comes from a credible source.
- It’s repeated time and time again.
- They don’t hear a reputation or denial of the rumor.

We all would like the truthful information being discussed about us and/or our companies. However, someone can change that overnight and make life miserable until the damage is undone. If not handled immediately or correctly, it can be disastrous.

If you find yourself on the wrong end of a rumor, DiFonzo offers his advice on what to do.

Don’t lie about anything. If the rumor is true, don’t try to deny it. If people are motivated enough, they’ll eventually get the facts and figure it out.

Deny false rumors. “A denial still raises questions in people’s minds, but properly done, it helps inoculate people against believing a false rumor and refutations are generally productive, even if they have some problems associated with them,” he says.

Get help from a third party. DiFonzo cites an example; “When Proctor and Gamble had a terrible time with false rumors alleging they were Satanists, they recruited Christian religious leaders to help refute the rumor.” Always know who your allies are.

Refute point-by-point. The more you can be specific and absolute about what is said, it’s more likely your refutation will be believed and remembered.

Provide a context for why you’re refuting. For example, if you deny a rumor by merely saying “I never overbill my clients” or “I paid all my vendors on time,” people will question what you’re saying and consider you may be hiding something. It’s best to discuss the rumor in context that would make your denial of it more believable. Try to explain how the rumors could have come about and why. Consider saying, “The market is getting tighter and X supplier’s assertion that my business practices are unscrupulous are absolutely false and are being used to disqualify us from a project they’re also competing to get. Our record of honesty with vendors is well known in the industry.”

Source : http://blog.successfulpursuits.com/2009/10/13/rumors-and-how-to-manage-them/