86. Run with the thinkers
The president of a major office equipment company put his problem to me this way: “How do I get the whiners in my company to stop whining and start coming up with solutions?”
He went on to explain that he had two kinds of people working for him, the Whiners and the Thinkers. The Whiners were often very smart and dedicated employees who worked long, hard hours. But when they came into the manager’s office, it was almost always to complain.
“They’re great at finding fault with other managers and telling me what’s wrong with our systems,” the president said, “but they are a drain on me because they’re so negative that I end up trying to make them feel better. After that, I’m depressed.”
The Thinkers, on the other hand, ...
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