Any swype is an opportunity.

Does that sound familiar to you? This phrase gets repeated continuously as soon as your organization strives to optimize. Still, often the perception of such changes is anything but positive.

People usually start to complain at an early stage of a project as this behavior has already become a long-existing part of the organization’s culture.

New software — we do not need that.

Better processes — the ones we have work fine.

Digitization — that is just another trend that will come and go.

Only on rare occasions, one will find a substantiated, non-emotional, fact-based complaint that genuinely aims to contribute with a better idea, a better approach, a more sustainable concept to a project. How can your organization create a better, more positive culture and move away from Company Complaint Culture?

Leadership: how do your leaders act?

You have to begin with looking at your highest level of senior leaders. Of course, they will not complain about the situations they made and the projects which they started. One could now assume that they are an excellent example of not complaining but acting in certain situations.

Unfortunately, this approach shows no congruence with facts, evidence, science. Listening closely when your leaders think they can talk what is informally known as off the record. About which topics are they talking?

Are young people difficult, demand too much, and feel entitled?

Are employees in general too negative, deliver too little and expect too much in return? Do people who want to work for you have to “earn their place” amongst your staff? How successful is your promotion selection process? Which criteria do you use, and are these sustainably successful? Or are you acting randomly, promoting people based on “networks” (meaning: random personal preferences)? Is any idea from senior leaders outstanding, but the people are not smart enough to get it? Or, do you hear the worst statement possible, the one that leaders are already way further in their thinking, but everyone around them is too slow to keep up with their visions?

Your senior leaders are the first and most crucial issue if any previous statement sounds familiar to you. There is no off the records, and you all know from experience how communicated messages get carried around an organization on the informal trail of “Don’t tell anyone, but…”.

Addressing this issue with your senior leaders may feel very uncomfortable. However, suppose you cannot resolve the complaint culture on the senior leadership level. In that case, there is no chance you will be able to remove it from your organization or replace it with a more positive approach.

Employee Turnover

After a pandemic or any similar moment of crisis, organizational leaders assume that people are looking for safety, security and, due to this fact, will accept less comfortable working positions as well as job offers. This assumption is based on a misperception.

Refusing to work for pre-pandemic conditions is not a new phenomenon.

After surviving the Black Death, the working class people showed the same reaction, although no social system existed to help them survive without work and income.

Never assume that people queue to work for you. Do not assume that you do not have to make excellent job offers. Refrain from thinking that people will now work more and receive less. Nothing of these aspects will happen.

This week’s article in The Guardian shows a representative poll. Nearly three-quarters of the workforce feel confident about moving on to another job, while one quarter already plans to change their employer within the next three months.

Company complaint culture will create a higher employee turnover and lower productivity. Still, bad leadership and unacceptable job offers are part of the problem and not part of the solution. If you plan to keep your job offers on a low level and do not plan to act on bad leadership, it is wise to raise your budget for recruiting significantly as you will need it soon.

Do you provide modern leadership?

Modern leadership creates excellent motivation. Great motivation prevents that people start complaining. Easy to say, hard to deliver.

Often, leaders still focus on motivational aspects which are either not meeting the needs of their employees or even are entirely outdated. Having an enjoyable evening out with colleagues or getting a company car may sound nice in the first place.

Still, many people do not want or do not need to have a car today.

Also, instead of a night out with colleagues, they may prefer to get a better salary. With the offers described before on the table, no leader can say that the money is not there or not available.

People quickly understand what is happening: you prefer to give motivation which you can, at any time with no reason given, take away. However, a higher salary would show what is needed in today’s organizational circumstances: commitment.

If your leaders cannot deliver commitment, people complain, and you cannot complain when you see this behavior happening. When it comes to commitment, actions speak louder than words.

Excellent leadership will create a positive culture at work. It is up to your senior leaders to deliver it. Loyalty will be your reward.