Workplace whiners aren’t just annoying, they’re also a hindrance to productivity and general well-being. If you have one of these types in your office, author Will Bowen suggests you simply divert the conversation away from their whining and into something more positive.
Photo by Enokson.
When you divert the conversation away from whatever they’re complaining about, you’ll get one of two responses, both of which represent an improvement. The Wall Street Journal explains Bowen’s tactics:
[P]eople bellyache just to get attention. [Author and speaker Will Bowen] suggests giving the complainer a different kind of attention by asking ‘”What’s going well for you?” They’ll look at you like you’re crazy at first,’ but persist and “the person will either switch topics or stop talking to you. Either way, you don’t have to listen to them any more.”
It’s not a bad tactic to get a complainer out of your space.
What to Do With a Workplace Whiner [Wall Street Journal]
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