The Recipe for Cooking a Raw Complaint into a Finished Solution

There is no shortage of things, ways, and conditions to complain about. Any time more than one person gets in a room, the opportunity for argument can exist. Now imagine a room of hundreds. How many arguments or complaints can come out of that space? Leaders responsible for others are going to be taking in perspectives, some easier to hear, some more difficult. As a leader, you don’t get to decide which kinds of information comes your way so you have to be nimble to respond appropriately in the moment. People will say “don’t bring me complaints, bring me solutions,” and there’s truth there. As you’ll hear from the team, complaints are much more complex and nuanced than “bring me answers.” A complaint can range from the temperature of the office to a report of embezzlement. There is no one canned answer for leaders, as you know by now, leaders are expected to appropriately resolve the complex. This episode will help leaders ratchet up their response to complaints and serve their teams more effectively.