How to reframe whining into a productive discussion

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How to reframe whining into a productive discussion

So what do you do when your employee complains? I remember the very first time I complained to a boss. I was in college and I was working for a health club. I was sitting at the school library before I went to work and I was reading the school newspaper. And there was an ad for our health club. But it was a bad ad. The production qualities were poor and the messaging wasn't very good. So I folded up the newspaper into my backpack and I went off to work. And I marched in and I showed it to my boss in front of a whole bunch of our clients. I said, "Look at this ad. "It's terrible!" Well, my boss called me into his office and said, "Don't ever say anything negative "in front of our clients ever again." End of story.

I walked out and I never brought anything up like that ever again. Was I wrong? Yes. I was unskilled in my communication. I didn't think through what I was saying or who I was saying it in front of. But here's the thing that my boss missed. I brought up the issue because I cared. I didn't want to see us look bad.


Source: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/hire-retain-and-grow-top-millennial-talent/how-to-reframe-whining-into-a-productive-discussion