How do you stay a step ahead of snipers? (The chronic bearers of bad news)

Does your organization or department have a sniper – a chronic bearer of bad news?  These are usually intelligent and perceptive people who delight in interpreting current company events as being ominous.

Snipers take joy in seeing others worry and distrust their bosses and organization.  If you refuse to join them in their underhanded movement, they’ll stop bothering you.

      Want to get them off your back?  Try these suggestions:

 ·         Politely, let them know you’re too busy to talk.  Tell them you’re way behind on a project or swamped with a lot of work.  After a while, they’ll drop you from their rumor rounds.

·         Don’t agree or disagree with anything snipers say.  Just sit there, ask no questions and make no comments.  If snipers see you can’t be made to worry, they’ll scratch you off the list.

·         Tell snipers politely but firmly that you prefer to rely on official information – not on their opinions or interpretations of rumors that fly around.

·         Cut off snipers at the pass by setting up a “rumor” box that other people can use to question the accuracy of rumors started by snipers.

·         Hold a “rumor” clinic when you find that snipers have gone too far and their destructive comments threaten morale.  You’ll get the facts out and undermine the credibility of the sniper.