Productive Frustration
Good morning,
For many, working in sales (or in any corporate environment) can be downright discouraging, especially regarding situations that impact your ability to succeed. And sometimes you just want to vent— today we're discussing how to channel this energy productively. Let's dive in.
Few things are more frustrating to your managers than hearing you or your teammates complain. I'll reiterate, even if the concerns are 100% valid, the choice to transfer information to leadership through the vessel of complaining will likely fall on deaf ears and tarnish your brand. Why?
Redundancy: Any good manager knows your concerns and is also likely frustrated by them too.
Ego: Less mature managers might feel personally attacked.
Lack of actionability: Complainers show they're more interested in allowing their emotions to dominate a conversation. That's rarely productive for you leadership team.
Bandwidth constraints: Your manager has a ton on their plate; complaining does the opposite of making their lives easier.
So what should you do if you have valid concerns that your management really should be aware of and take action on? Follow the OFS framework:
Outline: Provide an overview of the situation without bias or unproductive emotion.
Forecast: Estimate the expected dollar impact on the leader's business.
Solution: Bring a potential solution. Or at the bare minimum possible next steps. Skipping this step is dangerous and risks branding you as someone who brings problems vs someone who solves problems.
The difference between being a complainer and a problem solver is the thought put into potential next steps to resolve an unsavory situation. Note: Some emotion is ok. Emotions make us human, after all. Just don’t dwell in a negative emotional state with your manager. I’m not a manager apologist either. Many managers get things wrong and need to do more for their teams. But in the context of this topic, they just might not be the right person with whom to have a good vent session.
Reflect. Right now, think about the last time you brought a frustrating business challenge to your leadership team. How'd they take it? What could you have done to drive even more desirable outcomes?
Nearly 1 in 5, or 18%, of employees around the world are "actively disengaged" in their jobs, according to Gallup's annual State of the Global Workplace report (source). This goes both ways— managers need to create more spaces to listen to what’s on their report’s minds. Individual contributors should learn to manage up more effectively and drive the change initiatives that would improve company outcomes, workplace satisfaction, and their mental health.