Venting Is Healthy … Once
Jeff Nischwitz (he/his/him)
Consigliere, Performance Coach, People Whisperer, Snow Globe Shaker ... Lover of bold red wine ?? .. Cuban cigars .. Hearty bourbon ?? .. Broadway theater ??
The process of venting has gotten a bad rap over the years, but I for one fully support the idea of venting. It’s a great way to get things out in the open, to clear potentially disruptive energy (e.g. anger and frustration) and to allow for more productive conversations (because people will no longer be preoccupied with what they wanted to vent about).
I encourage leaders and teams to create brief space in their meetings for venting at the outset to allow for more productive discussions and problem solving to follow.
However, here’s the truth about venting:
Venting is a one-time thing. Once you’ve vented, it’s time to move on and either drop it or solve it. If you vent once, good for you. If you vent more than once, now it’s called something else and it starts with a “B.”
Think of it this way – venting is a thing you do, not a way of being. It’s certainly not a way of leading. Yes, leaders can vent, but they should vent once and move on. This is healthy venting, but only went it’s limited to one time.