The Grapevine and The Network
One Weakens, One Strengthens
The old adage that misery loves company is both true and commonplace, especially at work. Rules, bosses, competitors, product glitches– all can be pretexts for gossip and complaint. We may even think we are strengthening social bonds by commiserating, showing that we are neither snobbish nor uptight by joining the fray.
But as mentioned in last week’s post, the difference between a gossipy grapevine and a healthy network could not be more stark. Since both involve intense social interaction regarding colleagues and workplace issues, they may appear to be similar. Yet their impact is as different as breathing oxygen is from breathing smoke.
Healthy networks build durable bridges that serve our goals and make them easier to achieve by providing us with support, honest feedback, fresh perspectives and aha moments.
Grapevines by contrast operate by sharing grievance and rumor. They spread like virus, creating uncertainty and driving wedges between people and teams.
So what causes grapevines to take hold and how can we recognize and avoid them?
Grapevines flourish in systems where official information is either closely held or widely mistrusted. And in the event that information is shared, it’s likely to be done in a top-down or highly restricted manner. As a result, grapevines chiefly get established among people who feel that they lack power. They can serve as a vital source of information– sometimes the only source– but they may be inaccurate or rely on innuendo.
When grapevines gain a foothold in established organizations, institutions and communities, it is usually because a weak or self-interested leader withholds information and plays favorites, keeping everyone on edge. This creates a vacuum that needs to be filled because people want to be connected and feel like they know what’s going on.
Grapevines take root in situations where whole groups of people feel excluded, disempowered, and disaffected. As such, pervasive and active
grapevines are classic markers of dysfunction.
Grapevines operate internally but more and more they also go viral. Using social media to amplify workplace grievance has become common among people who feel undervalued, disrespected or blindsided. This is understandable. However, things can quickly get out of hand. Grapevines provide an all-too-easy way for people to confirm their assumptions, beliefs, and biases without needing to test them against contrary facts or opinions. This enables misinformation and rumor to shred reputations that may have taken years to establish.
As recent studies confirm, echo chambers tend to accentuate negative stories whose sensational nature makes them tempting to share. This algorithmic peculiarity causes grapevines to amplify grievance, which can instill a cynical or pessimistic mind-set among those who receive and pass along information.
Sharing information we are privy to through the grapevine can make us feel powerful because it suggests that we are in the know– an insider, a pivotal link in a vital chain. Yet grapevines do little to augment our actual power. They’re about talk, not action. They do not lift us up or provide a positive way to bond. They only enable us to drag other people down. As Bill Carrier, the leadership coach and master network facilitator eloquently notes, “Grapevines bear no useful fruit. Only a bitter wine that can be addictive.”
So when we’re tempted to indulge in or even just listen to gripe sessions, it may be useful to stop and think, am I feeding a grapevine that is doing nothing to move me or my teammates– or my company or my goals– forward? And if so, what positive action could I take instead?