virgin islands scene

To do just the opposite is also a form of imitation.
-- Georg C. Lichtenberg
 

 

Saturday, February 8, 2025

Complain once

Complain once, with clarity and specificity. Then, armed with all the details about what’s wrong, work to improve the situation.

It’s a mistake to assume complaining is an effective way to distance you from responsibility. What’s actually true is the opposite.

If you’re involved enough to register a complaint, you have some interest in what you’re complaining about. That means you also bear a degree of responsibility for getting the complaint resolved.

You very well may not have caused the unfortunate situation, yet you’re the person calling attention to it. That obligates you to positively follow through to the best of your ability.

To do that, quickly transition from the complaint to specific plans for what to do about it. Instead of investing repeatedly in the complaint, put thought, energy, and action into moving permanently beyond it.

Once a complaint has been expressed, its work is done. After that, is your opportunity for working to make sure the complaint never arises again.

— Ralph Marston

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