Quit whinging at work… or just consider quitting, period

We all know what it’s like to feel ‘trapped’ in a situation at work. When we are locked in a tricky scenario – a difficult manager, an underperforming colleague, issues with office culture – it can very easily become frustrating. Especially when it’s really not our fault!

In HardTalk, participants learn they always have a choice – to do nothing, or do something. But whatever they opt for, there will always be the same five possible outcomes…

It’s essentially down to us to undertake a cost benefit analysis and decide whether it’s worth us speaking up. If we decide against it, what we really need to do is let it go. But it’s harder than you may realise and unfortunately we often end up feeling miserable. And what do we do when we are miserable? According to our survey results, almost 40% of us complain to others. It’s not productive.

We say: Don’t be that person. Whether a situation is your ‘fault’ or not, we know that nothing changes without a conversation. The problem with whingeing to your coworkers is that it breeds negativity and can make a bad situation worse. Don’t be the one to bring yourself and others down. If you have chosen not to speak up, if you truly can’t let it go… it could be time for you to go.

It turns out there are a lot of interesting reads on this out there, so we’ve combed through them to bring you three of the most illuminating articles on workplace whinging…

 

Alison Green, aka Ask a Manager, offers advice on how to deal with a complaining coworker in The Cut.
FastCompany’s Jessica Hullinger asks: What’s it like to go without complaining for a month?
Peter Bregen suggests that most people have more power in a situation than they believe they have, so they should speak up in this piece for Harvard Business Review.

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