Go and see

It is said, 'Great minds discuss ideas, average ones discuss events, small minds discuss people.' It is a common tendency to discuss people. Good topics do no harm, but it is best to press the pause button when idle gossip starts doing the rounds, or veer the conversation to positive topics, or at least refrain from discussing further.

Although tempting, it is ill-advised to talk without verifying facts, as gossip tends to spread like wildfire. It may turn out that the same gossip mongers may later gossip about you. Genchi Genbutsu is a core principle of Toyota in lean manufacturing, which translates to 'go and see for yourself'. The Japanese term 'genchi' means actual place, while 'genbutsu' means actual thing.

Managers or administrators visit the site of the problem and learn about it firsthand from operators, rather than relying on and acting on reports, which could cause misinformation and miscommunication, delay troubleshooting, eventually affecting the crucial supply chain. This principle could be applied when one hears negative titbits about a friend, colleague or someone they know.


Whenever possible, let's try to get confirmation or a rebuttal firsthand, instead of speculating and spreading it. Best is, 'gossip dies when it hits a wise person's ears'. Let's be wise and avoid gossip, as it can harm the subject and the person sharing it.