Rumors can be the most dangerous and damaging form of communication that we encounter. At the water cooler, personal lives and actions become the hot topics of debate, and much like a game of telephone, they quickly gain a life of their own. It's difficult to know how to deal with these issues, as rumors aren't exactly fact, and there isn't any degree of control over how the story will mutate. In this article I will address rumors and how to control them from a person level, and also how to help curtail rumors from an executive level. First we must talk about the impact and manifestations of rumors.

Rumors about an executive's personal life can ruin the image of not only that executive but also of those that are directly associated with him/her. The most damaging seem to be those rumors that are unrelated to work. So the questions that arise out of dealing with rumors are far reaching, and for the executives as a whole are fearful things.

CEO's can find a negative image based on rumors end their careers, and are to an extent more susceptible to adverse impact from rumors than the average entry level employee. In fact as you move up the corporate ladder, your company image matters more than your actual work in many cases. Many employees end their advancement up the corporate ladder prematurely through the impressions that they create in the infancy of their employment with the company, and can thank rumors for that.

In the end, most companies have a high school mentality in terms of rumors. Rumors are fun to spread, fun to expand upon, and fun to act out with great dramatic zest. Who is hurt in the end? In the end only that one person is really hurt. The results when these rumors are negative are to either ostracize the employee, or to end advancement for that individual within the company. In a company your work matters just as much as the impression of you as a worker. Let's not forget that this can also lead to termination!

So how do you stop rumors about yourself? The answer exists inside of the content and manner that you present to others. In total I have found seven rules that when followed consistently can squash rumors, but more importantly can stop most rumors from ever coming to the surface! I have listed them below.

(1) Become your own PR agent. Think about the things you want to say before you speak out loud. Think about how others will take or could take the things that you are going to talk about. Plenty of people can

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