Small Talk and Gossip: Seeds of Value Creation

In this new world of AI, proliferating social media, group chats, and highly emotional opinions on job sites, organizational leaders face small talk and gossip in the form of irrational criticism, either of the organization or of themselves. Too frequently, the impulsive reaction is to dismiss negativity and attack the people voicing such criticism.

We suggest, as do others, that this dismissal may be a mistake. One of our white papers draws on numerous sources to argue that critics, both inside and outside the organization, need a voice. Such critics are often passionate about your organization or you as a leader but may lack the ability to artfully express their desire for improvement. Worse, when ignored, these individuals are denied the opportunity to contribute, collaborate, and feel part of the organization. Such disengagement leads to unhappiness, which, in turn, lowers productivity. As a result, organizations lose the opportunity to keep critics engaged in their success. Credible research suggests that when organizations disengage from internal and external critics, and those individuals reciprocally disengage, their passion for the organization can become adversarial and destructive.

Properly harnessed, criticism and complaints can be transformed into constructive feedback that improves professional development programs, products, services, and strategic planning.

Criticism directed toward management or leadership is where 360-degree surveys come in. Properly constructed, these tools can capture criticism and filter it into credible, valid, and recognized leadership and management skill categories. Not only are critics given a voice, but they also gain a platform to constructively and candidly engage with company management and leadership. This engagement can lead to meaningful behavior change among management and leadership. Research has proven that if the correct behavior change is sustained, it will improve an organization's effectiveness.

Custom surveys can capture qualitative data and feedback about products and services. When properly constructed with statistical validity, these surveys help interpret changing consumer tastes, competitive threats, and demographic trends. This data can also serve as a leading-edge indicator to drive innovation and strategic planning. We also believe that risk identification and management can be aided by a well-designed survey tool.

While criticism may be misdirected or even mean-spirited, using survey tools can contain the criticism and engage the critic. Done right, survey tools will filter the feedback into useful and meaningful data that can be used to improve leaders and managers, thereby enhancing the productivity and profitability of the organization.

Many experts in organizational development also believe that integrating qualitative data from internal stakeholders—such as employees, managers, board members, and others—is a critical feature of balanced scorecard tools, which measure the performance and effectiveness of an organization. When properly analyzed and integrated into strategic planning, these tools help organizations learn and drive change initiatives that promote growth, profitability, and value creation.