s desk. There is really only one sure way to fight rumors: Keep employees informed. If a rumor starts, nip it in the bud as honestly as you can. Make sure supervisors talk to chronic rumormongers individually. And do what you can to lower the stress levels in which rumors breed. Hypercompetitive cultures that have people watching their backs are more rumor-prone than supportive environments that value team- work. One technique that we used very effectively at AT&T was to publish employee letters questioning corporate policy or even criticizing com- pany actions in our daily electronic newsletter and monthly print pub- lication. And when we broadcast Allen's or Armstrong's employee town meetings, we made no effort to censor the questions, many of which came in over an open telephone line. While this made some executives uncomfortable at first, it proved to be an effective safety Don't Let Plugging Leaks Become an Obsession valve that helped reduce the tension in which rumors proliferate. And over the years, only one or two of these letters were ever reprinted outside the company. Most leaks, though, are the result of simple carelessness or naive exuberance. Some information reaches the wrong people simply be- cause employees lower their guard-they read confidential papers on airplanes, discuss private deals in restaurants, send confidential faxes to hotels, and SO on. More often, an executive takes one or two trusted lieutenants into her confidence. Before you know it, they have each taken one or two trusted people into their confidence. And SO on until the supposedly private information ripples throughout the organiza- tion. Everyone loves a secret. Few people can keep one, especially if it appears that everyone else is in on it. And once something has been the subject of media speculation, many people assume that there is no longer a reason not to discuss it with colleagues and family. In fact, many people get some ego gratification from acknowledging that they are "in the know." It's a status symbol. Over the y