Greetings!

Daniel Decker, our Chief of Everything at The Jon Gordon Companies, wrote a great piece on The No Complaining Rule that is too good not to share. So here it is...

Does Your Office Need a "No Complaining Rule"?

I’m not a fan of complaining... well, at least not the chronic kind that is rooted in negativity instead of being a catalyst for seeking solutions.

Mindless complaining is useless. It not only makes the complainer more pessimistic, it also brings everyone around them down. It’s a lose-lose.

Complaining CAN be productive though, when it’s used constructively in a way that brings light to a problem that needs to get solved (and by "solved" I mean... resulting action being taken so that the problem is indeed taken care of instead of just talked about more).

But complaining just for the sake of complaining... boo. It’s lame. (You’d agree, right?)

We’re all guilty of it though, some more than others.

If you work in an office there is no doubt you know a few Chronic Complainers who seem to find the bad in everything they can. They are the naggers, the whiners, the gossipers, the people who focus on the negative. And then there’s those who not only complain but they bring every conversation back to something negative about them. You know who they are and you can’t stand it when they do it, can you?

So what do you do? How do you handle them?

Here’s one way. Watch this video below…

Perhaps the better way though is to issue a NO COMPLAINING RULE in your office, school, church, etc. Let people know that you’re not going to stand for mindless, negative complaining any more. Complaints are okay once in a while but the chronic kind... no way. Complaints are only useful when followed up with suggested solutions.

The world has enough negativity. We need to be solution seekers and help those around us direct our energies into positive things, things that lift us up and that help us move forward.

Here are a few resources to help you along the way…

• Download, print and post the No Complaining Rule poster (PDF) and get your team on board. (Additional posters with quotes and ideas here).

• Download the "5 Things to Do Instead of Complain" poster (PDF).

• Pick up The No Complaining Rule book by Jon Gordon.

• Use the No Complaining Rule Discussion Guide or other group resources here.

Before you go... take a minute to watch this other No Complaining Rule video. Hilarious... although we do not condone utilizing stun guns / tazers on those who complain. : )

How do you handle complaining in your office? Share your thoughts on Jon's blog here or on Jon's Facebook page.