Stop Workplace Drama: Train Your Team to have No Complaints, No Excuses, and No Regrets

Introduction: We Don't Do Drama Here

	The very fact that you are a complainer shows that you deserve your lot.
	--James Allen

What Is Drama?

The phrase "stop your drama" gets attention and varied reactions. More often than not, I hear a deep breath with a head nod of recognition from an office manager or business owner who says, "Wow. We need you in our office. We have tons of drama." Others react to the word "drama" with a bit of shame, embarrassment, and an attempt to hide any trace of personal or professional commotion. In fact, I was once hired to provide my signature team-building training, but was asked to change the program's name because the meeting planner told me, "We don't want to alert and upset people by using the word drama."

Others laugh with recognition and say something like, "My daughter is a drama queen." Another interesting response is "I don't do drama." It's always a red flag to me. I can almost bet that the person who claims not to do drama is the biggest drama queen, a bully, or just completely clueless.

Case in point: While on a recent vacation, I stopped at a little family-owned roadside caf e for a very late breakfast. Because there were no other customers in the restaurant, I got into a lively and humorous conversation with the owner plus her ex-husband, who was flirting with me, and her mother, who had just told me all about her medical problems. (Yes, they probably could have used some customer service training—but that is beside the point.)

After a few ...