Handy Guidelines For Complaining
When the complaint train starts rolling, it's hard to not hop on and settle into a cozy seat. Everyone does it from time to time, and sometimes it's cathartic. We need to ensure we're not a frequent passenger on the complaint train. The following guidelines will help us determine when taking a ride to complaint town is appropriate.
If you have a firm understanding of the situation and ability to influence the situation, take action. We often underestimate the levers we have to influence a situation. Leaders and decision makers don't want to be seen as incompetent. If you can give them council that will help them look good, you can influence the situation through their actions. If you're the decision maker, no need to complain about the situation, start shaping it in the image you desire. Once you start heading in a direction, the next steps will become more clear.
If you have a incomplete understanding of the situation and inability to influence the situation, ignore it. 9 out of 10 studies show that the #1 cause of headaches is listening to people talk about things they clearly don't understand (I made that stat up, but you get the drift). Have you ever had a conversation about sports with someone were you wondered if they even watch the sport? If you don't understand something, and you can't influence it, don't let it raise your stress levels.
If you have a incomplete understanding of the situation and ability to influence the situation, please sit down, you are dangerous. These are the most frustrating folks in the workplace, those who have not taken the time to understand the situation in front of them before sending co-workers down a non-productive path. We don't need to wait for 100% of the information on a situation, but we also shouldn't make decisions in the dark. Our colleagues are complex, so making a categorical decision about their character and potential based on limited interactions creates the potential for disaster. Organizations are made up of the aforementioned colleagues, so organizations are very complex. Decision makers need to invest the bulk of their time understanding the people and relationships around them to have a hope of understanding any given situation.
If you have a firm understanding of the situation and inability to influence the situation, feel free to complain. Caveat: we often have much more influence on situation than we realize. If the decision makers for a situation are anywhere in our orbit, we have to be willing to tactfully suggest adjustments. Done the right way, this can make us a hero. In the event that we truly do not have any access to those that can influence the situation, and we have a firm understanding of what's going on, hop on that complaint train and have a wonderful ride.
