People Have Tongues

Organizations have people. Therefore organizations are prone to have strife from time to time, and more so within certain segments of it (depending on the people). People have tongues. It's amazing to me how many problems organizations face could be minimized if more people would apply the lessons of Proverbs. For example, consider the application of these at work:

"Debate your case with your neighbor, and do not disclose the secret to another; lest he who hears it expose your shame, and your reputation be ruined" - Prov. 25:9-10.

A natural tendency is for people to debate their case to their neighbor's neighbor, rather than the neighbor himself. It's a lot more fun to tell people things that will cause them to take sides with you than it is to keep your lips tight. If you don't say something, won't everyone else only be getting 'their' side of the story?

Or consider this one, which is also very applicable to raising children:

"Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; and where there is no talebearer, strife ceases. As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle strife." Prov. 26:20-21

So, how could people reduce strife at work? Same way you can put out a fire: stop throwing wood on it and watch it burn out.