In 6 Steps Whiners Become Winners

Often we come into contact in our professional lives with persons who see only the negative. Their glass is always half empty and they have a million and one reasons why a suggested solution to a problem wont work. But, they never seem to have any suggestions for what WILL work.

Here are a few steps you can take to address the issue.

1. Challenge them to come up with a better system or solution. They may devise a way you hadn't thought of, or more likely, they may decide your solution is fine after all. Either way you can move on.

2. Ask "Why?" When cornered into explaining why they feel a solution will not work or a new schedule is not feasible and backing it up with data, the whiner will often cease griping and carry on with the task at hand.

3. Put a clock on them. They want everything to be perfect. When it isn't they want everyone else to be as miserable as they are about it. Put them on a deadline in which, perfect or not, the task must be completed.

4. Empathize don't sympathize. Listen to what the whiner has to say and guide them toward the positive. Don't sympathize, that will just enable them to continue their self defeating behavior.

5. Call them on it. Take them aside and explain that their behavior is not contributing to the solution and therefore it is part of the problem. Whining can take the wind right out of even the most dynamic team, and must not be allowed.

6. Know the strategy. Most behavior is learned. Whiners whine because at sometime in the past it has gotten them what they wanted (usually out of responsibility for their job). Don't let them get away with it or it will be twice as hard to stop the negative behavior the next time.