Stop Complainers and Energy Drainers E-Book

Linda Byars Swindling

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 209

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

Turn constant complainers into productive contributors Constant complainers take up resources, time, and mental bandwidth in the workplace. When you change a culture of complainers to one of contributors, you boost morale, increase productivity, and promote effective communication. In short, you get more done with less drama. In Stop Complainers and Energy Drainers, workplace communication expert Linda Swindling shares her expertise in negotiating tough situations in the workplace. Discover how to influence others to accomplish your purpose. Stop Complainers and Energy Drainers uses scenarios, engaging questions, and survey results to provide strategies that can be implemented immediately. * Shows how to identify complainers and time drainers * Provides forms to help prepare for discussions, suggested language to show up powerfully, and encouragement to apply strategies * Offers concrete phrases and tactics to refocus a complainer and end unproductive conversations Stop Complainers and Energy Drainers is research-driven and focused on how to identify as well as manage conversations with "venters," complainers, whiners, and energy drainers. With these guidelines for communication, you'll see powerful results, improved relationships, and increased confidence.

Leseprobe

Contents

Work Drama 101

Introduction: How to Use This Book with No Complaints

Chapter 1: Whiners

Spot a Whiner

Stop a Whiner

How to Stop a Whiner Boss

How to Stop a Whiner Peer

How to Stop a Whiner Employee

Turn to Management to Help Stop Whiners

Turn Management Around

Chapter 2: Complicators

Spot a Complicator

Stop a Complicator

How to Stop a Complicator Boss

How to Stop a Complicator Peer

How to Stop a Complicator Employee

Turn to Management to Help Stop Complicators

Turn Management Around

Chapter 3: Prima Donnas

Spot a Prima Donna

Stop a Prima Donna

How to Stop a Prima Donna Boss

How to Stop a Prima Donna Peer

How to Stop a Prima Donna Employee

Turn to Management to Help Stop Prima Donnas

Turn Management Around

Chapter 4: Controllers

Spot a Controller

Stop a Controller

How to Stop a Controller Boss

How to Stop a Controller Peer

How to Stop a Controller Employee

Turn to Management to Help Stop Controllers

Turn Management Around

Chapter 5: Toxics

Spot a Toxic

Stop a Toxic

How to Stop a Toxic Boss

How to Stop a Toxic Peer

How to Stop a Toxic Employee

Turn to Management to Help Stop Toxics

Turn Management Around

Chapter 6: What to Do If You’re the Complainer

Spot Yourself Complaining

Which Complaining Behaviors Am I Using?

Spot Yourself Complaining

Stop Your Complaining

How to Stop Complaining Like a Whiner

How to Stop Complaining Like a Complicator

How to Stop Complaining Like a Prima Donna

How to Stop Complaining Like a Controller

How to Stop Complaining Like a Toxic

Why Are You Complaining?

Good Business Reasons to Curtail Your Complaining

Good News and Breakthroughs

Chapter 7: Energy Drains

Spot the Energy Drains

Stop the Energy Drains

How to Negotiate Energy Drains Involving Technology

How to Negotiate Energy Drains Involving Bottlenecks

How to Negotiate Energy Drains of Too Much Work and Too Little Time

How to Negotiate Energy Drains Involving Misaligned Values

How to Negotiate Energy Drains Involving Depressing Environments

Chapter 8: How to Negotiate Work Drama

Spot Work Drama

Are You Negotiating Work Drama?

Stop Work Drama

Decide to Negotiate

Find the Right Supporters

Turn to Human Resources for Help

Turn the Problem Around Yourself

When Management Doesn’t Help

How to Negotiate Detours and Roadblocks

Chapter 9: Go Ahead, Complain

Spot Complaints

Employee Complaints Are Good

Encourage Employees to Give Valid Complaints and Solutions

Stop Complainers at Work by Listening to Them

Complaining Is Good for Business

A Client’s Destructive Feedback

Complaining Is Good for You

Making a Valid Complaint

Crossing the Finish Line

Resources

References

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Praise forStop Complainers and Energy Drainers

“Linda Swindling knows negotiation and how to stop work drama. As a leader you have to see the value in others and see through the excuses. You can’t afford to have chronic Complainers in your company. Make the time to read Stop Complainers and Energy Drainers.”

—David Irons

Senior Vice President, Sales/Marketing, Perfection Learning

“Nothing slows down a company’s growth and innovation more than chronic Complainers. Linda Swindling’s Stop Complainers and Energy Drainers gives you strategies that work to negotiate with those negative people and those time-consuming systems that just don’t work. Buy the book. Follow the steps. Watch your business growth take off.”

—Ford Saeks

Author of Superpower : How to Think, Act, and Perform with Less Effort and Better Results

“Toxic employees suck the life out of the companies they work for and the colleagues around them. The solution? Read Linda Swindling’s Stop Complainers and Energy Drainers. This cheerful, fast-read book is practical, sensible and chock-full of no-nonsense advice that anyone faced with a Complainer can immediately put to use.”

—Dick Grote

Author of How to be Good at Performance Appraisals

“Linda Swindling shows you how to spot and stop every Complainer you’ll ever encounter. You’ll devour her data, you’ll commiserate with her characters, and you’ll celebrate her suggestions. Linda’s practical strategies to address Complainers are easy to implement—even when the Complainer is you!”

—Elaine Biech

ebb associates inc; Author of Thriving Through Change

“Ever felt the joy sucked out of a room? It was probably caused by some energy vampire bringing his or her misery and negativity. Linda Swindling gives you practical strategies to Stop Complainers and Energy Drainers. Get rid of those Toxics and energy suckers and bring on the joy . . . because joy is the new competitive advantage!”

—Amanda Gore

CEO of the Joy Project; Author of Joy Is an Inside Job

“In today’s wired, 24/7 workplace, successful people create maximum results in minimum time. To dramatically improve productivity, you must eliminate time-sucking, whining, negativity, and drama in your workplace. In Stop Complainers and Energy Drainers, you’ll learn innovative strategies to handle toxic employees and energy-sapping environments. To gain higher performance from your team and regain your personal sanity, I highly recommend you read Linda Swindling’s latest work.”

—Laura Stack

Best-selling author of Leave the Office Earlier and What to Do When There’s Too Much to Do

“Stop Complainers and Energy Drainers is a user’s manual for how to get more done. I recommend the book to anyone responsible for managing a team, growing a client base and providing sustained success.”

—Derrick Jones

Director, US Distribution Sales, FLIR Systems

“We all know how the power of negative people in the workplace can ruin team spirit and affect productivity. Stop Complainers and Energy Drainers is a great tool to change the conversation, refocusing on what’s most positive and productive. It’s a must for any organization.”

—Scott Friedman

Author of Celebrate! Lessons Learned from the World’s Most Admired Organizations

“For over 30 years I’ve helped companies overcome barriers to top performance. Along the way I’ve learned that one, just one Complainer, Whiner, or Toxic drama queen can suck the positive energy and productivity out of an entire team of great people. Until now, I’ve never had truly effective strategies to deal with Complainers beyond firing them or trying to ignore them. In her great new book, Linda Swindling gives me options, strategies, and solutions to finally stop Complainers and rechannel that negative energy in a positive direction.”

—Joe Calloway

Author of Be the Best at What Matters Most

“Insightful! You will find yourself wanting to apply Linda Swindling’s strategies as you read through the material. This is an excellent read for any organizational team-building session because it focuses on redirecting negative energy and funneling it into a positive resource. Stop Complainers and Energy Drainers validates that Complainers are needed because they foster change.”

—Marilyn Stewart

Manager, Supplier Diversity, Alcatel-Lucent

“Like most organizations, our organization’s success rests on the people who represent it. Every impression is critical. Stop Complainers and Energy Drainers is a mandatory read if you can’t risk the message Complainers send.”

—Cheryl Richards

Senior Vice President, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau

“To win in today’s competitive business environment, leaders and senior managers must be able to execute brilliantly in up and down markets. They need people who contribute substantively to the organization’s mission, not people who attack or sabotage it. Stop Complainers and Energy Drainers is a great action guide to eliminate negative, unproductive forces in the workplace so that managers and their teams can maximize innovation and bottom line results.”

—Susan Battley, PsyD, PhD

Leadership Psychologist; Author of Coached to Lead: How to Achieve Extraordinary Results with an Executive Coach

“With this book, leaders now have the tools to develop a more positive work environment for everyone. The results are huge: less stress, more productivity, more creativity, even better health. No one should have to put up with negative people, especially since it’s so preventable. Linda Swindling equips us with the answers and tools we need.”

—Sandi Smith Leyva

President, BrainWays Training and Development

“This fun-to-read book is filled with seriously practical and insightful tips and techniques that stop Complainers and Energy Drainers. Linda Swindling addresses one of the most difficult tasks leaders must master: how to give feedback in negative situations. Her approach is masterful. This is a must-read for every leader!”

—Lenora Billings-Harris

Author of The Diversity Advantage: A Guide to Making Diversity Work; International Diversity Strategist

“If you deal with difficult people, get this book! Linda Swindling shows specific, usable and simple steps you can take to stop bosses, employees, and peers from engaging in destructive behavior. She also shows what you can do to save yourself when you can’t make a change in other people. Look at this book as an investment in your future career—and sanity!”

—Terry Brock

Author of Moving from Thinking “No Way” to “Not Yet!”; Professional Speaker; Marketing Coach

“How refreshing. Linda Swindling’s book has taken the subject of complaining to a whole new (positive) level that managers can use to their advantage.”

—Joseph C. Sherren, HoF

Best-selling author of iLead: Five Insights for Building Sustainable Organizations

“We all know them, but rarely know how to keep from getting sucked into their drama. Linda Swindling gives you practical solutions that help you identify, understand, and deal with Complainers and the negative energy they create. She also helps you identify some of your own potentially destructive behaviors that can keep you from living your best life. Get out your yellow highlighter pen—you’re going to need it!”

—Sandi Galloway

Director, Southwest MC&IT Sales Development, Canadian Tourism Commission

“When you are searching for an employee for your company, you want the right person, in the right time, who can bring value to the organization. Quick advice . . . don’t hire Complainers if you can avoid it. If they are already employed, stop them as fast as you can with Linda Swindling’s advice. I’ve witnessed her negotiate and stop even the toughest conflicts.”

—Phil Resch, Captain USN (Ret)

Principal Sandhurst Group; Former Chairman CEO Netweavers

“This is a must-read if you want to deal with a very costly issue and impact your organizational culture in a significant way. Linda Swindling is spot-on in her insights for dealing with negativity in the workplace.”

—Sam Silverstein, CSP

Author of No More Excuses; Past President of the National Speakers Association

“Linda is an expert on complaining. You should have known her when she was a teenager.”

—Linda’s mom and dad

Cover image: Illustrations: Pencil Scribble, (top): © hfng/iStockphoto; Lightning Bolts: © Yummy SuperStar/iStockphoto.

Cover design: Michael J. Freeland.

Copyright © 2013 Linda Byars Swindling, JD. All rights reserved.

Illustrations: Road Signs, High Voltage Sign: iStockphoto; Tornado, Poison Sign, Sink Drain, Finish Line Flags: 123RF.

Images and website design: Tim Cocklin.

Surveys and graphs created through Constant Contact Online Survey.

Names of Complainers graphic created through Wordle.net.

Nothing herein should be considered legal or psychological advice.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Swindling, Linda Byars, 1965-

Stop Complainers and Energy Drainers: How to Negotiate Work Drama to Get More Done / Linda Byars Swindling.

p. cm.

ISBN: 978-1-118-49296-3 (pbk); ISBN: 978-1-118-859012-6 (ebk);

ISBN: 978-1-118-859038-6 (ebk); ISBN: 978-1-118-859027-0 (ebk)

1. Problem employees. 2. Corporate culture. 3. Business communication.

4. Personnel management. I. Title.

HF5549.5.E42S95 2013

658.3′045—dc23

2012044354