My least favourite phrase from clients has always been, “Well, that’s the way we’ve always done it.” I’ve complained about it before in this newsletter (and I’ll complain about it again!) but I digress.
This week, we are going into my second least favourite phrase:
“It’s good. Nobody has any complaints.”
Now, on the surface, this sounds great. And don’t we all want to work in a place where people are happily going about their jobs? But this is rarely the case.
If I’m working with an organization where people used to be vocal, where there were ideas flying around, where someone was always raising their hand saying, “Why are we doing this,” or “This doesn’t make sense,” and suddenly that stops, I feel a sense of dread.
Because when complaints disappear entirely, especially in a group that used to be engaged, it can mean something has shifted.
When Friction Is Healthy
Healthy organizations are not silent.
They have respectful pushback. They have questions. They have people who care enough to say, “I don’t think this is working,” or “We should try this differently.”
When someone speaks up, even when it’s inconvenient, it usually means they still believe the system can improve. They still believe someone is listening. They still think their input matters.
That’s a good sign.
I would much rather work with a company where there is thoughtful disagreement than with one where everyone nods and then vents in private.
Complaining (Effectively)
Now, not all complaints are productive.
There is a difference between someone raising a specific concern tied to an outcome, and someone who complains without ownership, without data, and without any interest in helping solve the issue.
Healthy friction sounds like:
“This SLA response time isn’t realistic based on our current capacity.”
“We’re closing tickets, but we’re not actually resolving root causes.”
“This metric is driving behavior we don’t want.”
Dysfunction sounds like:
“This place is a mess.”
“Leadership doesn’t care.”
“Nothing ever changes.”
“ConnectWise doesn’t work for us” (okay okay I put that one in just for me)
One is engaged. The other is resigned.
The tricky part is that if you shut down the first type long enough, you will eventually get the second type, or worse, silence. And silence is the part that makes me nervous.
Nurturing the Feedback Loop
If you’re hearing, “No complaints,” here are a few questions I would start asking myself:
Do people know what to do when they see something broken, or when they have an idea to change something?
Is this process communicated to everyone, including new hires?
Have our strongest voices gone quiet?
Are we differentiating between constructive friction and unproductive negativity?
And most importantly, when someone does raise an issue, what happens next?
If the response is defensive, dismissive, or delayed indefinitely, the signal is clear. People will eventually stop trying.
Ok, there are SOME Complaints
Complaints are not always comfortable, and they are not always pleasant to hear. Most of the time, they are evidence that people still believe things can improve and that they are engaged in their work.
Do you have a process to receive feedback in your organization? How did you build it? Do you find that it’s working?
