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No Complaint Policy
by Lee J. Colan, Ph.D.
To be clear up front, the title of this issue is not referring to a customer service policy. It is, however, referring to a human service policy. Let's jump right in and try to put things into perspective. The next time you have to deal with a frustrated customer, grumpy boss, disrespectful colleague or a no-win project, remember that you could have this guy's job...
Maybe this guy puts "Toxic Clean-up Specialist" on his resume, but we know better.
Although complaining can feel cathartic in the short term, consider how it can shift our focus in the wrong direction:
- Complaining focuses on the past vs. the future. Remember, a car's windshield is much bigger than the rear view mirror for a reason – we are supposed to look forward more than we look back.
- Complaining focuses on us vs. others. It plants seeds of negativity on the walls of our minds that reinforce our situation. Our complaining words describe our situation instead of changing it. If you complain, you will remain.
Okay, virtual classroom here. Please raise your hand if you thoroughly enjoy listening to someone complain. Just guessing, but I am not seeing a lot of hands going up.
Consider boldly adopting a "No complaint" policy. If you have kids, you won't have to worry about breaking the policy because they will tell you as soon as you do!
Even in the worst of circumstances, we can always find more to be thankful for than to complain about. We witness this everyday when we see victims of natural disaster who focus on the truly important things they still have and can never really be taken away. Or the friend who is fighting cancer and manages to always see the bright side and inspires others when it would be so easy and understandable to complain.
In the words of John Wooden, basketball coaching legend at UCLA, and a man who turned good players into great people, "Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out."
If you need a boost with your No Complaint Policy, check out the rapid-read book (just 64 pgs.) titled Orchestrating Attitude. You can also take FREE Attitude Tune-up and get a real-time feedback report. As Zig Ziglar would say, "It's a check up from the neck up to get rid of that stinkin' thinkin'."
Copyright © 2009 by Lee J. Colan and The L Group, Inc.
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