I do believe my position is clear on whining in the workplace. I’m against it. But there’s actually one kind of “whine” that’s GOOD for productivity.
Not the serial whiner or compulsive excuse-maker, of course—that kind of whine is usually an indication that the person has not aligned his or her personal plan with the company’s interests and is busily boohooing about that fact. And it’s especially galling because it usually happens after it’s too late to do anything about the situation.
But a little complaining BEFORE things go wrong can actually be a good thing. Let’s call it the right kind of whining.The right kind of whine happens when a team member has her eye on the ball so well that she notices a project going off the rails BEFORE it’s too late—and points it out in no uncertain terms to her team, herself, and even her boss, nagging and insisting until the project is back on the rails.
Positive complaining calls it tight, insists on deadlines, rejects excuses. Positive complaining doesn’t say, “It’s not my fault—I sent an email last week and never heard back.” It picks up the phone. It walks down the hall and knocks on office doors until it gets answers. Heck, it camps out on doorsteps. It won’t take silence for an answer.
Annoying? Sure it is. It’s much easier for everyone to keep their feet up on the dashboard as the company veers slowly but surely into the ditch. But a complaint that’s insisting on the objective and refusing to take excuses—well, that’s a squeaky wheel well worth the grease.
