Employee Complaint? Do This Next Time.

Had An Employee Complaint?

Have you ever had an employee complaint?

I’m sure you have 😉

I’ve got a little helpful tactic for you.

It isn’t original to me, I got it from a mentor.

But I really like it and wanna share it with you.

The next time one of your incredible team members raises an issue, grievance, or complaint, ask them to use the 1-3-1 framework.

Do you have a complaint?

Cool.

With the employee complaint or issue, bring with it 3 potential solutions to the problem.

And your one preferred solution.

1 issue/complaint

3 potential solutions

1 preferred solution

Bingo.

Change Your Culture

If you implement this, you’ve just turned a corner in your culture.

Meaning as a matter of culture and how your team works and collaborates together, you no longer accept or allow someone to only complain, then fully stop after the complaint.

If I’m your employee, the price of me raising an issue or complaint is putting my own head to the problem and coming up with 3 potential solutions.

I’m not allowed to only complain or raise an issue.

I need to bring with me the 3-1.

Why is this important?

I don’t know about you, but I know for me it can feel like I am obligated to respond to an issue or complaint with a solution.

It’s like my immediate natural reaction. “What’s the solution?”

It feels as though because I am the leader, it is my job to bring solutions to every problem I encounter.

But that’ll burn you out, and also create a culture where your team does only the issue-raising, and only you do the solution-creating.

Not good or healthy.

A side effect of implementing the 1-3-1 problem-solving framework into your team culture is that, …as the leader you’ll hear about far fewer

problems.

Because your team will encounter the problem, know that the price of raising the problem is to also come up with 3 potential solutions, and as they are doing that work, they’ll discover they can totally solve the issue on their own. Without even raising it to you. They got it, bro. They’re good.

Or at minimum, you’ll get your team member approaching you with a problem-solving attitude and mindset instead of the cancerous mindset of only identifying what’s wrong, but thinking it’s “not my job” to also help contribute to the hunt for the solution.

Win, win, win.

Ready To Give It A Try?

So, give it a shot next time.

I bet you have an issue right at this moment that you could try the 1-3-1 framework on.

Let me know how it goes!

Reply or comment on what you’ve found works to raise morale, boost a healthy culture, and keep the team in problem-solving mode when handling issues and problems that crop up.

Cheers!