Source: The Compliance & Management Update for Supervisors, November 27, 2009 newsletter.
Complaints, complaints: how to turn them into positive action
How often do you come across people who seem to spend more time explaining why something can’t be done than working to fix problems?
Keep Excuses at Bay
There are specific skills you can use to quit complaining and work on solutions:
- Lead by example. Programmers at software giant SAS quit complaining about impossible deadlines when CEO Jim Goodnight rolled up his sleeves and sat down at a terminal to write code.
- Show Optimism. There’s plenty of research showing that a manager’s expectations, for better or worse, affect performance dramatically. Positive expectations promote confidence, and confidence results in superior performance, dulling the effect of complaints
- Focus on those who get it. Research shows that in any change initiative, 30% will get it right away, 50% will go along, and 20% will never buy in. Focus your attention on those who buy in, and have them help “sell” the other 50%. Don’t waste energy on the 20% who will never get on board.
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