The office grapevine is the ultimate informal communication system. Managers often pay attention to it to keep their fingers on the pulse of their company. Employees use it to communicate gripes or to pass along information about anyone and anything work-related.

Or not. Sometimes, the office grapevine degenerates into a giant rumor mill that thrives on serving up episodes of that tragedy called life for the sake of advancing a co-worker's deepest Machiavellian interests.

But what about your own deepest Machiavellian interests? Should you pass along gossip in your office? What if doing so might further your career? And what if it could derail someone else's career track? How should you factor the possible repercussions into your choice of whether or not to join in the office gossip mill?

This blog isn't called Political Calculations^(TM) for nothing! Geek Logik's Garth Sundem developed the math behind our latest tool, which can help you decide if, and also how, you should join in the guilty pleasure that is office gossip at your company:

Garth Sundem explains the mechanics behind the math used in the tool:

In this equation, your chance of transmitting office gossip depends not only on its validity and entertainment value but on its usefulness as a business tool. Will this information increase or decrease your chances of ascending the corporate ladder? How likely is it that transmitting gossip will come back to haunt you?

Then again, some things are just too juicy to keep bottled up, even if they might result in damaging your own career in the process. Garth continues:

Of course, if it's just too spicy to keep to yourself and you have a tendency toward feistiness, you might have to throw logic and caution to the wind and spill to anyone and everyone who will listen.

All we have to add is that if that's you, the gossip had *really* better be worth it, or else, as Tony Soprano might say, "there have to be consequences." And with certain people in the office, we would guarantee there will be.

Labels: geek logik, tool

- posted by Ironman at 6:11 AM | Permalink | |