Want to hear some gossip?

While watching the news coverage on the Annapolis meetings yesterday, I saw a story about gossip and the financial effects that it has in our economy; to the tune of 3-4 BILLION DOLLARS per day! That is incredible. Some companies and organizations are taking a hard line against it where an employee's job is at stake if s/he is caught gossiping. The suggested solutions given to help alleviate the problem are great ones: improve communication channels and provide a supportive environment. These two solutions seem on the surface to be very simple however they must come from the very core values of an organization's philosophy. They represent not just something you do, but who you are as a company. Good communicators listen more than they speak and will look for every opportunity to receive and understand the thoughts and ideas of others. There is a huge element of respect that must prevail. To foster a supportive environment requires insight into the needs of others. Some issues are never really understood by superiors because they just don't make the time to become a student of those they lead.

In the past, I have been the victim of the devastating effects of gossip at various times. My reputation was impugned, people distanced themselves from me, opportunities disappeared and my self image suffered. I am not without guilt here myself. I would venture to say that we all have entered into gossip fairly recently and fairly frequently. It is a subtle sin, yet one that has huge consequences in the damage it can do to others and ourselves. The admonition in Philippians 4:8 about thinking only on those things which are good, lovely, excellent, of good report, etc. certainly applies to the things we say about others as well. My mom used to tell my brothers and me: "If you can't say something nice about someone, then don't say anything at all!" That was good advice then and is GREAT advice now.