Rumours seldom spread because people are malicious. They often spread because people are curious and when information is absent, people fill the gaps themselves.

The problem isn't usually the rumour. It's the vacuum that allowed it to form. I've seen organisations spend weeks crafting the perfect message while the unofficial version has already travelled through teams, WhatsApp groups and coffee breaks message threads.

But rumours aren’t often the root cause, they're usually a symptom. A symptom that people no longer expect their leadership to provide the answers.