In this case, Benjamin has heard a lot of gossip about his new team leader, Alice Wong, the supervisor from the accounting department. As Benjamin’s friend and co-worker, there are several suggestions I have for him – before he begins working for Ms. Wong on a team. These suggestions include open-mindedness, being respectful and nonjudgmental, as well as advising Benjamin about the dangers of informal communication in the workplace.
First, Benjamin should try to approach the opportunity to work under Ms. Wong with an open-minded attitude. He should bear in mind that, regardless of what he has heard about his new team leader, the opportunity to work on the team demands an open-minded approach (Fulton-Calkins, 2011, p. 58). While difficult, such an approach is more amenable to open lines of communication. Moreover, keeping personalities out of a team approach, and focusing on professionalism, will help Benjamin contribute to the team’s overall goal (Fulton-Calkins, 2011, p. 56). Thus, I would stress that Benjamin approach his opportunity to work under Alice Wong as a learning opportunity, one where he should focus on keeping an open mind and positive attitude.
Secondly, it is vital that Benjamin be respectful and courteous to Ms. Wong during his interactions with her. Despite the negative hearsay about Ms. Wong, she is still entitled to professional treatment, as well as human respect and dignity (Fulton-Calkins, 2011, p. 58). Due to the negative gossip about Ms. Wong, it may also be difficult for Benjamin to tap into positive attributes such as a nonjudgmental approach, which is a must for the success of any team project (Fulton-Calkins, 2011, p. 58). Perhaps, Ms. Wong has not been treated respectfully due to a previous professional misunderstanding that has snowballed into her current dilemma. Still, if Benjamin shows respect for Ms. Wong, he will, most likely, be respected by her (Fulton-Calkins, 2011, p. 58).
Lastly, it is important to remind Benjamin that informal communication in the workplace can be dangerous, easily becoming negative gossip. Thus, it is important for Benjamin to consider that someone may have had a motive for spreading gossip about Ms. Wong, or that she is perhaps a very good person to work with, but the message about her has morphed into a negative one. Thus, it is imperative that Benjamin keep the line of communication with Ms. Wong on a formal level, and disregard such rumors (Fulton-Calkins, 2011, p. 59). According to Root III, long-term gossiping and hearsay can have a corrosive impact on employee morale, over time (Root III, 2017). Thus, it is highly important that Benjamin disregard the gossip he has heard about Ms. Wong to avoid the possibility of low team morale.
References
Fulton-Calkins. (2011). Procedures & Theory for Administrative Professionals. 7th Edition.
Root III, G.N. (2017). Effects of negative communication in the workplace. Chron. Retrieved
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