OMG, such a "royal" pain!
Would you rather... a.) be poked in the eye with a sharp stick... or b.) be stuck in a corner by someone spewing a stream of complaints at you...?
Hard choice, right? Because they're both pretty painful. Mainly because of the spewing, I think. Someone could spew anything at you and it would probably be painful - bad dating advice, their political views, cat pictures, etc. And complaints do real damage. They pollute the air and your ears. They seep into your consciousness and help you think negative thoughts. Complaints never attract what you DO want, they perpetuate what you DON'T want. As Prince said in his song Ol' Skool Company, "Ain't nothing ever come from complaining, Except a bitter heart, that's true."
The pastor at a Kansas City church, Will Bowen, decided to challenge his congregation to go 21 days without complaining. And to show he was serious, he ordered silicone bracelets for everyone as reminders. When they caught themselves complaining, they would move the bracelet to the other wrist. It's a physical reminder that has a lot of impact! I found out about this when I happened to pick up his book "A Complaint Free World" on a whim.
"Piece of cake," I thought to myself. "I'm a positive person, I look on the bright side. I'm going 21 days right away!" Hell , no I wasn't. They say complaining is like bad breath. You recognize it in other people but not in yourself. So true. The thing I found myself complaining about most? Other people complaining! And apparently that counts.
It took about a week to get through a whole day without complaints. That whole day was followed by another but the streak was stopped abruptly when some jerk stopped their car short in front of me to change lanes, which forced expletives to fly from my mouth. I'm a work in progress...
Maybe you're wondering "How can I get my team to buy into this? How can I achieve the bliss of a completely complaint-free shift?" Well you can't MAKE someone else not complain, sorry to break the news. But you CAN do two things: 1. Challenge them like Will Bowen did his congregation. You can even go to his website and order bracelets for your crew. Not everyone will get on board but it WILL help raise awareness of the energy they bring and how it affects other people. What else can you do? 2. Take the challenge yourself. Be an example of how to affect a positive change in the people around you.
And if it takes you a few weeks to get through your first complaint-free day, that's about par. Most people go many months before they hit 21 days, so keep going. As Prince wrote on the album Graffiti Bridge, there's "Joy In Repetition." By the way, Will Bowen's complaint bracelets are purple and this happens to be Prince's birthday month. Coincidence? I think not.
Always good hanging out,
Leslie Kalk, Restaurant & Hospitality Coach
The “Gordon Ramsay” for your FOH
P.S…. When you’re ready, here are 3 ways my team and I can help you take command of your business this year:
1. Join the ROOM (Restaurant Owners, Operators & Managers) group and connect with other badass restaurant operators who are growing their business, too. Right this way.
2. Find out about our Dining Room Nightmares service: A 30-day plan to fix your worst nightmares. Get more info here.
3. Apply for membership in our Secret Guest Private Program. Just email me and put “Secret Guest” in the subject line. Tell me a little about your business and why you think you could benefit from a secret guest visit, and I’ll get you the details.
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