Oct
05
Save The Messenger From Getting Killed
Posted under Motivation
I remember when I was 8 years old I complained to an uncle about the way the local humane society euthanized too many dogs and cats. He came back at me with a great response. “Brad”, he said. “What can they do to prevent having to put all those animals to sleep if they cannot find homes for them?”
“I don’t know.”
He then said “If you do not have a solution for a problem that is better than the current solution, then you really don’t have a right to complain about the situation. Think of a solution before you complain.”
What great advice for a kid! Take some responsibility for solving problems! After this brief discussion, I spent weeks trying to think through solutions to the problem of homeless pets. “How can we keep homeless pets alive?”
I came up with quite a few ideas from community Co-op puppy ranches - to fenced in grounds where sterilized animals could be cared for by neighbors. Maybe the co-op ranches weren’t feasible in 1978, but today there are quite a few “pet rescue” organizations that do just that.
Yet today, in the workplace there are more than a few people who complain about the pay. They complain about the working conditions. They complain about people who complain.
But what solutions do these complainers offer?
Complaining to a superior without thinking through a possible solution or two makes you look bad. You’ve heard the term “kill the messenger”. Messages of doom and gloom to the king might get you killed. Offering the same message with a caveat…”I’ve thought of a way out of this mess.” Proves your value.
If there is a problem worth complaining about, get to work on the solution. Maybe you can’t solve everything. But coming to the table with both your complaint and a solution is much better than just a complaint.
Technorati Tags: motivation, solutions, complaints
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