Being in the personal and professional development world, I am often asked whether there is any value to complaining and listening to complaints. After all as Steven Gaffney shares…
“Complaints allow us to be aware of what is on someone’s mind and the act of complaining gives the complainer the opportunity to get things off their chest. The answer is yes, of course. Complaining has its place, and venting can be useful to clear one’s mind. The trouble comes when complaining is recurring, because that’s a signal nothing is getting resolved.”
I am guilty of venting and sometimes complaining. But since I have a lot of titan energy in me and I am also a fixer and a problem solver, I most often will attempt to get those issues and challenges resolved or fixed.
So how do you deal with someone who is complaining a lot to you about the same issue?
In a recent blog post, Author, Speaker, Leadership Advisor, and Communication Expert Steven Gaffney explains how this behavior can negatively impact the morale, productivity, and growth of an organization. He offers this advice: “To eliminate and resolve complaining, you have to understand what drives complaints. The number-one reason why people are not able to stop complaining is because they are not dealing with the real underlying issue.”
So if you have someone in your life who is constantly complaining about the same issue, you should have them read Just Be Honest!
