Constant complainer is a pain in the butt
Advice from office coach on dealing with habitual griper
Q: I am stuck in a very small office with an older colleague who never stops complaining. “Larry” goes on and on about his heavy workload, but when I offer assistance, he criticizes my efforts. Larry also gripes about how our boss doesn’t like him. However, if I try to help him figure out why, he immediately rejects my suggestions.
Whenever I’m out of the office, Larry complains about the number of people who were looking for me, although he never seems to know who they were. I would like to tell Larry to just shut up, but that doesn’t seem wise. Do you have any advice?
A: Being trapped in a confined space with a chronic complainer would be maddening, so I understand your frustration. But while you will never change Larry’s personality, you might be able to modify his behaviour.
In attempting to be helpful, you have inadvertently become a player in Larry’s griping game. Whenever you listen to complaints, propose solutions to problems, or offer to help with tasks, you are actually rewarding the behaviour that is driving you crazy. So it’s time to stop participating in these pointless conversations.
When Larry launches into a round of complaints, politely explain that you are unable to talk because you have a lot to do. Then immediately turn away and focus on your work. Should Larry persist, simply repeat “I’m sorry, but I really can’t talk now” without making eye contact.
If possible, enhance this separation by arranging your workspace so that your back is to Larry’s area. And if you can wear headphones at the office, start plugging them in. Compulsive complainers always want an audience, so if you continue to be unresponsive, Larry will eventually find a more willing listener.
Q: Each year, our company buys a season ticket package for our hometown football team. These seats are excellent and extremely costly. Since we are a very small business, every employee can attend one game at company expense. Some games are more desirable than others, so we have a drawing to distribute the tickets.
Because our business is growing, next season we will have more employees than games. Two of our new hires are already season ticket subscribers, so if they win company tickets, they plan to use them and sell the others.
Without company tickets, some longterm employees won’t be able to attend any games at all. They feel that season ticket holders should not be allowed to participate in the drawing. What’s your opinion?
A: If these tickets are supposed to be a general employee benefit, then everyone should have an equal shot at winning. Despite having their own tickets, your new employees may still want an opportunity to use the “excellent and costly” company seats. If not, they can voluntarily remove their names from the drawing.
As your company continues to grow, you will inevitably have an increasingly smaller percentage of winners and a larger percentage of losers. So, perhaps, you should consider replacing the game experience with a more inclusive gesture. Many things that work well in a very small company are not effective in a larger enterprise.