Some people say that there is nothing wrong with complaining as long as it is followed up with at least three ideas for solutions. In fact, at one time, that was my approach. However, I have since learned there is a better way. What I would say to my staff today is that complaining is not welcome here; however, we actively invite you to share problems you identify once there is a mutually agreed-upon definition of that problem.
Too often, people either complain about problems without doing anything about them (which is counterproductive because of the negative environment that kind of attitude creates), or they identify solutions to problems that only exist in one person’s mind and come up with ineffective solutions to fix those problems—which often only makes things worse.
So, what is to be done?
If you ask four people to describe a mountain—one from the north, one from the south, one from the east, and one from the west—they will each come up with a slightly different description based on their unique perspectives. Each of them is describing the same mountain, but the way they describe it will be vastly different. If a mountaineer is looking for information to plot a route up the north face and gets feedback only from the observer on the south side, that mountaineer could be in for a brutal and potentially deadly surprise—or they might end up way overprepared.
It is critical, before anyone attempts to solve a problem, that they first have a clearly defined definition of the problem they are trying to solve and, second, that they look at the problem from multiple perspectives that might shed more light on it than one person could provide alone. If I say the problem is that the box is too small, and you say the product is too big, and Tim says the budget is too limited, and Sheila says the machine needs to be replaced—those are all very different problems that are interconnected. If we focus on just one perspective, on just one definition, and fix that problem, we may cause problems for everyone else.
On the other hand, if each of those individuals comes together and talks about their perspective of the problem, the group will arrive at a clearer picture of what the real underlying root problem is and will be able to work together to fix it.
They may also discover that there isn’t actually a problem at all—or that the problem exists only within a single person’s perspective. If I don’t like that the office fridge is stocked with junk food and I bring the secretary and staff together, but no one else has a problem with it and actually likes junk food, whose problem is it? It’s mine. From the secretary’s and staff’s perspective, there is no problem at all with the current circumstances, and I simply need to avoid the break room or find the willpower to resist that delicious ice cream and soda.
The solution to most problems and initiatives begins with getting everyone who is impacted by—or connected to—the perceived problem together and coming up with a unified definition of the problem. Complainers don’t like this because they lose the spotlight when the thing they complain about isn’t around anymore, and they have to find something new to complain about. Many leaders don’t like this because sometimes they glory in being the one with all the great solutions, or because they are in a hurry and getting people together to define the problem takes time, or because they might discover that their definition of the problem was wrong.
But it’s the right thing to do, and the best thing you can do for your organization. It will result in much happier, better-connected, problem-solving people and will eliminate counterproductive complaining.