All companies have limitations. Decisions have to be made about what problems to tackle. Small companies often have tight limitations. Being good at one thing often depends on not diluting the focus on that thing. That means NOT doing some things, maybe even many things.
It is common for people to grieve that their thing is not be on the agenda. Getting people through the five stages of grief quickly (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance) can be a real challenge. You want to get to acceptance as efficiently as possible.
It is common for people to grieve that their thing is not be on the agenda. Getting people through the five stages of grief quickly (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance) can be a real challenge. You want to get to acceptance as efficiently as possible.
Whining is a symptom of the first four stages. Its tone can change: during the Anger stage it is bitter whining, during the Depression stage it is sad whining. Constructive people that are moving forward don't whine. That's what you want. People that tend to whine may need to be trained.
How do you train people? It's easy. Don't tolerate whining. At all. Zero. Encourage people to present ideas and to lobby for them but they must accept a decision. It's Ok to reopen an issue after a suitable time period but until then their job is to accept it.
It is important to listen to your people and to allow some discussion after you have made a decision. However, don't weaken your message. Even if you are reconsidering it is better not to weaken your position by implying that you'll "think about it" in case you decide to stay the course.
It is better to acknowledge what you hear and respond by asserting the decision: the points were considered, the points are not compelling. At some point, ongoing discussion and questioning becomes whining. Usually it is when there is no new information. It is fair at this point to ask if there is anything new. If not, entertaining further questioning is enabling whining. At this point you need to stop engaging on the issue.
If you respond politely, firmly and consistently you will find that people take less and less time to get through the process. If not, consider a penalty for whining to emphasize your position - a fine.
It is important to listen to your people and to allow some discussion after you have made a decision. However, don't weaken your message. Even if you are reconsidering it is better not to weaken your position by implying that you'll "think about it" in case you decide to stay the course.
It is better to acknowledge what you hear and respond by asserting the decision: the points were considered, the points are not compelling. At some point, ongoing discussion and questioning becomes whining. Usually it is when there is no new information. It is fair at this point to ask if there is anything new. If not, entertaining further questioning is enabling whining. At this point you need to stop engaging on the issue.
If you respond politely, firmly and consistently you will find that people take less and less time to get through the process. If not, consider a penalty for whining to emphasize your position - a fine.
Sounds easy? Well, there's always a catch. In today's politically correct world, anything that is phased politically correctly is hard to say no to. Don't be tricked by niceties.
Popular culture understands how boring, annoying and counterproductive whining is. For example, google "no whining" and click on the images tab.
Everyone knows it. Don't create an environment that encourages it.
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