You’re standing around the water cooler, and everyone’s talking about the Mel Gibson audiotapes that have been broadcast on TV.

(You don’t watch TV. You didn’t hear any of the tapes. You could care less).

At lunch someone asks, “So what do you think about Snookie on Jersey Shore?”

Who?  

Then, a questionnaire is passed among the staff asking what is dubbed the question of the week:  Who should be the next Judge on American Idol now that Ellen has left?

Ellen?  Ellen who? American Idol?  Never watched it. Why bother me with this trivia?

What are you guys crazy?  Get back to work! Stop wasting my time!

Most offices in businesses across America thrive on cultural gossip. For whatever reason – it relieves tension, it inspires laughter, even brings employees from different departments together for a common interest. Whether it’s a discussion of why a particular football player defected to another team – or should this celebrity dump husband #4 – gossip in the workplace thrives.

How do you feel about that?   Ever feel like a cultural idiot?  When people talk about these TV shows, do you feel included?  Left out? Alienated? Superior? Inferior?

Does it waste our time at work, lowering productivity, or does it build teams and keep the atmosphere light and friendly during these challenging times?

Tune in this week to Dr. Brian and Dr. Gary’s insultant/consultant show, Sunday August 1, 2010, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consultantinsultant to learn some surprising insights from two different points of view. Call in and share your opinion. You never know what one of them might say.

This week the Obama administration accepted full responsibility for the hasty firing of Shirley Sherrod, State Director of Rural Development for the United States Department of Agriculture.

After an excerpt of her address to a March 2010 NAACP meeting was posted on the Andrew Breitbart Big Government website July 19, both right wing and left media commented on what seemed a blatant act of reverse racism.

Was Sherrod declaring she had misgivings about helping a farmer keep his farm because he was White?

In truth, Sherrod, a black woman, described her understanding of the situation and her struggle to make a decision that would help the white farmer. Her speech was about racism – and not racist.

White House spokesperson, Robert Gibbs, said,

“I can’t speak for everybody involved, but I think we live in a culture [where] things whip around. People want fast responses, we want to give fast responses, and I don’t think there’s any doubt that if we look at this, one of the great lessons we take away from this is to ask all of the questions first and to come to that full understanding.”

As a result Sherrod’s ousting and the subsequent media blitz, the entire week seemed devoted to sidestepping, apologizes, angry vindictive against the left and right media.
And though a majority of politicians and journalists slammed the blogger for “jumping the gun,” Ann Coulter defended him. “He’s the victim!” she screamed.

The time and money spent to clear up an issue that might have been dismissed in seconds is symptomatic of our need to say things quickly without thinking them out first.

As a manager or supervisor, do you ever jump to conclusions? Have you ever fired anyone too quickly? Do you look at financial figures and immediately cut jobs cut marketing, cut inventory without carefully poring over the numbers?

What’s it take to change the way we think so we avoid making hasty, unfortunate decisions?

Tune in this week to Dr. Brian and Dr. Gary’s insultant/consultant show, Sunday July 25, 2010, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consultantinsultant to learn some tips for avoiding this misguided behavior.