A colleague is leaking info about us to the media. Help!

Dear Aunty, 

You are in the media, or at least appear in the media, so who better to help?!

We are in the middle of discussions to sell our business and I suspect one of my colleagues is leaking inside information about us to the media and some of it is wrong. He is a nasty type and very opposed to the sale.

What do I do? It is destabilising not only our potential suitor but also our staff, who didn’t even know the discussions were underway.

I don’t want to confront him in case I have the wrong end of the stick but if I don’t, he will keep leaking! The other problem I have is he is a liar. Even if I do confront him he could very well deny it and then keep leaking.

GT,
Michigan

Dear GT,

And hello to you in Michigan! You could try the old trick of group intimidation to flush out the offender. You gather everyone together and go nuts, telling them that someone is leaking and you have a good idea who the person is and that you just need some more evidence before you confront them. Make sure you give the person a good glare as you are talking. Second option would be to call him in and ask him straight out. When he denies it, tell him you accept that but you are going to bring in data experts to find the leak before engaging lawyers.

Thirdly, get him onside. Offer him some money that will be paid once the sale goes through successfully. Tell him he is an essential part of the sales process and he will be paid a “success” fee.

Of course it is a “shut your mouth fee” and it will kill you to do it but it will probably be the most successful strategy. Fourth, befriend the journalist who is writing this stuff and tell him if he holds off writing wrong information from a disenfranchised employee then you will give him the big story first.

Be smart,
Your Aunty B

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