There will always be something to complain about.
Always.
You can have the best organizational culture in the whole world. Have a bookcase full of awards. Awesome employee opinion scores. And there will be something that employees will complain about. I don’t consider this pessimism as much as I think of it as reality.
Maybe it’s the uniform. Perhaps employee parking. Possibly the cafeteria food. Or as our friends from Kronos point out…it could be the schedule.
There are a couple of ways to deal with small annoyances. Everyone must understand that no business is perfect. The positives should outweigh the negatives. And the negatives, when they exist, must be small aggravations. Issues such as “my boss is a bully” isn’t a small matter.
I’ve also seen employees view organizational flaws as “quirks” – you know, the way we might view a relative’s eccentric mannerisms. One employee starts complaining and the others help the employee to realize it’s part of the culture. You know, teaching an employee to love the quirkiness. They might also teach the employee how to informally work around the system. Informal learning at its best!
Complaints aren’t always a bad thing. The topic, frequency, and impact play major roles in the discussion.
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Joe Carbone says
It is always something and time will likely change it. I like to think of this line from the show “Avenue Q”: “Don’t stress, relax. Let life roll off your back. Except for death and paying taxes, everything in life is only for now.”
Sharlyn Lauby says
Thanks for the comment Joe!