Aren't you ever curious how some corporate rumors start?

Every time I do a series of focus groups with employees, and ask them how they get their information, 'The Rumor Mill' or 'The Grapevine' is always one of the top 'vehicles' that people mention.

Now, that's fine when the information is accurate (which it often is, I know). I've actually used the informal grapevine to spread information at some companies.

But what about when the information is inaccurate? And where do those inaccurate rumors come from?

I just heard a funny story about how one rumor started at a major company . . . which gave me some insight into how easy it is for these things to get started.

I'm down in Bartlesville, OK, right now, doing some work for one small division of ConocoPhilips. And they are dealing with a rumor right now that simply isn't true . . . and they know exactly how it started. But even they can't believe how fast it spread.

Here's the story:

At a meeting between a company executive and a smallish group of employees, someone asked the executive about the company's hiring policy, and whether more employees would be brought in. The executive basically said that they wanted to bring in more people, but the lack of affordable housing in Bartlesville was holding them back. 'I'd hire a thousand people right now if we could find housing for them,' he said, off the cuff.

As an example, he mentioned that there was a woman from Norway that was trying right now to relocate to Bartlesville, but was having a hard time finding an affordable house.

Well . . . within a couple of days, the rumor was sweeping the organization that the company was hiring 1,000 Norwegians any day now. People are saying things like, 'When are the Norwegians getting here?' And, 'Where are the Norwegians going to sit?'

Isn't that a hoot? It doesn't take much to get that rumor mill spinning, does it?