5.12 Solutions
Management
Series:
Managing Complaints
“Sometimes I have days when I just want to lock myself in my office with a “do not disturb if you value your life” sign on my door. I enjoy working with my team, but their ongoing complaints wear me down. The issues don’t seem that important to me, but they really seem to bother my team members. I just don’t get it.”
Managing complaints is not on the top
of any manager’s list of favorite activities. Many managers follow the
“if I ignore it, it will go away” methodology. Of course, that’s a poor
approach to any complaint and a very
counterproductive way to manage those complaints that really do represent
significant concerns. Those concerns, if left unheard and unaddressed,
may drag down individual and team performance. Team members need and
deserve to be heard. After all, that’s how they know that their manager
values their contribution to the team and cares about them as individuals.
Managing Complaints makes clear that when you really listen, you must do so in a way that is non-judgmental. That’s critical because what appears to be a minor issue to you may appear to the complaining employee to be a major problem. When you really problem-solve a complaint, you use specific techniques to identify the potentially serious issues, if any, that underlie the complaint. That’s also critical because many complaints that seem minor actually mask significant issues with broad productivity impact.
With its focus on listening and problem solving, Managing Complaints can help even experienced managers feel comfortable hanging an “always open” sign on their office door. After all, it’s up to the manager to stay on top of and manage individual and team issues.
Managing Complaints (MC) provides managers with the tools
necessary to approach complaints in a way that is supportive of employee
and team goals. Throughout the workshop, managers will review video
presentations and case studies, participate in group discussions, practice
new skills, and receive immediate feedback. They will leave with implementations
tools, troubleshooting guides and additional resources to help them
apply the skills they have learned on the job. The 4-5 hour workshop
is designed for 6-18 participants and includes the following:
• Why Dealing With Team-Member Complaints Is Important
• How the Effective Team Leader Manages Complaints
• Use Your Listening Skills to Manage Complaints
• Questioning