As much as my job has the power to seriously aggravate me (what’s new?), there is one thing that I completely appreciate about it: my managers sincerely make an effort to reach out and resolve employee issues.
This week there was a department meeting at my office where the managers offered free lunch and heard us out for two hours about what we all felt could be improved in order to increase overall employee satisfaction. Now I’m a bit of a cynic because I tend to think that no matter what anyone does there will always be someone who is not happy. This is just reality. However if there is anything I took away from this meeting it’s that if you can’t bring a solution to the table, sit down, shut up, and quit complaining.
At the meeting everyone who had something to say, no matter how shallow the complaint was, also had a solution to their problems. In effect, the managers took us seriously because everyone had credibility and everyone walked away feeling positive about change despite all the complaints that were going on.
Let’s face it. Humans are complainers. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Understandably complaining has negative connotations because a lot of people make it a habit to complain, even for valid reasons, but do absolutely nothing about it. Conversely it can be and is often a good thing. After all, we would have never gotten this far as a species if we just sat around on our tush being satisfied with hanging around in caves drawing trees on the wall, grunting at each other, and living off of mammoths.
To me, it’s pointless to implement a “no-complaint” policy. I could tell myself I won’t complain for 30 days. Maybe it will work, maybe it won’t. I personally doubt it will work because it’s in the genes (we wouldn’t want to fight Mother Nature, would we?). But even if I did succeed there would be no room for improvement. I cannot stress it enough: where would we be today without our complaining, go-getting compatriots? Now I think of myself as a relatively low-maintenance person and I have a bit of a tomboy/goofy side to me, but boy am I glad I’m not a cave(wo)man today because I am just too cute for that raw food, sleeping on stone business. I’m sorry, dude. 10,000 BC can stay in the past where it belongs. I dare you to disagree with me.
Unless, of course, you happen to like raw venison and hard floors for beds, then that’s your prerogative. Go build a time machine. I certainly won’t stop you but do not take me with you. Oh, and tell the cavemen I said hi once you figure out what the grunting means.
<corny, played-out joke>
But don’t tell him everything else I said, though–>
</corny, played-out joke>
So there you have it. If you want to sit there and complain until the end of time and your brain turns into a mush of negativitiy, be my guest. Just make sure you’re going to do something about it.
I’ve said my piece. Now I’m off to save the world from … whatever it needs saving from.
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