To the guy I spoke with last Thursday who was complaining about the thing… Please read this article…!
Can you think of someone who seemingly has made it their life’s work to complain (or as I call it – ‘bleat‘) every chance they get?
These people are easy to spot, particularly in the workplace!When ideas are tabled or solutions to problems suggested, they are the ones whose input is entirely about why things won’t work. Their input revolves entirely around the problem – and never the solution. (Yes, it drives me mad too!)
If you do have someone in your organisation that is a perpetual bleater, firstly consider reasons why they might be doing it – it may provide some opportunity to reduce or even stop their bleating. Consider…
they are the ones who spend their time telling you why things won’t work
- They may have inherited it from their last workplace – because it was culturally embedded there…
- They may have got it from their parents or other family members
- It could be that they choose to hang around people who are also bleaters – it’s like a club for complainers :0
- Quite likely… They have never been called on it (i.e. they’ve been given permission to continue doing it)
- Perhaps… they have not been asked one simple question, persistently enough… ‘What will work?’
They have a installed a ‘No bleating policy’. It’s True!
If you have a bleater in your midst, try changing your language to help them change their focus. When they focus on the problem, which means they are focusing on past events, move them to focus on the solution and the future. And you’ll need to be persistent – this bleating habit wasn’t formed overnight.
Try asking them, ‘Ok, what will work?’ And if they reply with, ‘Well we’ve tried such and such and it didn’t work..’ or similar, push harder… ‘OK, but I asked what will work? How do we fix this? Surely there’s something we can do… Isn’t there?’
If you still don’t have any success, then perhaps do what some of Actual to ideal’s clever clients have done. They have a installed a ‘No bleating policy’. It’s True! Essentially it says that you cannot complain or raise issues unless you are prepared to help with the solution… Yep – it’s a written policy. And if a member of the team does not wish to help, or if indeed there is no solution (i.e. it’s completely out of everyone’s control) then they and others cannot continue to bleat – they need to move on!
They just needed to be asked much better questions.
After-all, isn’t it exhausting to complain about something that you can’t change?! Shouldn’t we focus our time and energy about the things we can do something about…?! Can I have an ‘Amen’
Here’s the up side to the story… These businesses that have banned bleating without a solution, find more often than not that most people do have a positive side accompanied with some truly good ideas. They just needed to be asked much better questions.
Oh, and by the way… if you’re a bleater…then…. um…. please stop – it’s not helping!!
Yours in good times and strong profits
Cheers!
Jeff Austin
jeff@actualtoideal.com.au
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