The No Complaining Rule by Jon Gordon
October 21st, 2008Title: The No Complaining Rule
Author: Jon Gordon
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons (2008)
As you know, I love business books…so when I got the opportunity to review this book, I was pretty excited. I am not much of a complainer (at least, I don’t think I am!)…but sometimes I have been known to rant a bit at things that drive me crazy. I do, however, wish people in general did a little less complaining and a little more problem solving…which is exactly what this book is about.
The No Complaining Rule: Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity at Work by Jon Gordon is told in parable fashion (a lot like my favorite business book…which also happens to be about employee satisfaction). The story follows Hope, the VP of Human Resources at EZ Tech. EZ Tech is a computer manufacturer that is in A LOT of trouble as the batteries in their laptops are catching on fire during use! Not only that, but there are some employees who are criticizing the company on their blogs. Apparently there are some major trust and communication issues at EZ Tech and HRVPHope is asked to come up with a plan to improve the employee relations.
MEANWHILE…HRVPHope is having some major problems of her own at home. Her husband left her and she is having difficulty with her children, especially her teenage daughter. BUT WAIT…THERE’S MORE! She also has to go to the hospital to have some tests run to check for cancer. Life is bad and there is a lot of complaining from everyone. Luckily, at the hospital she meets Joyce, a super non-complainer, who teaches Hope about the No Complaining Rule. Joyce says people complain for two reasons: because they are fearful and helpless and because it has become a habit. She has 3 tools to stop complaining: The But –> _______ Positive Technique (I don’t like driving in rush hour to work…but at least I have a job), Focus on “Get To” rather than “Have To” (which is a lot like the first one), and Turning Complaints into Solutions (which is the best one).
Obviously, HRVPHope comes through at the end of the book as her company and family are saved. But I think the book has a lot of value in teaching people how not to complain without direction. You can go to www.nocomplainingrule.com to learn more about it and get some tools that can help you learn how to complain less in your life.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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October 21st, 2008 at 8:18 am
Steve, the hubby, did a review of this book sometime back and loved it.