It’s become a pastime, a bit of on-the-job sport. Grumbling starts out innocently but can become all-consuming, taking on many forms like:

- Harping about the boss’s annoying habits
- Whining about boring work
- Complaining about your cubicle location
- Obsessing over how long it might take to get promoted
The more we grumble, the more we grumble. It’s not a cure for anything, but a perpetuator.

Who’s guilty?

All of us. Grumbling per se isn’t the issue. It’s whether or not we take it to extremes, letting it interfere with our path to success. Here’s how it can play out:

Bosses complain about their employees: “Every quarter I fall short of my goals because my employees don’t care, especially Alyssa and Adam. I could tell them a hundred times how our production process works, and they’d still find a way to screw it up.”

Employees whine about their bosses: “My boss is a creep. Every time I say anything s/he cuts me off, acting like a pure know-it-all. I try to explain my idea or report on my work and get a snarky comment or a bored look. I’ll never get anywhere working for him/her.”

Employees grumble about each other: “I hate being on teams with Eric and Paula. They never contribute anything, making the meetings drag on with all their stupid comments and annoying questions. They’re nothing but a load, and I end up having to do their stuff so we wouldn’t miss the deadline.”

Why do we do it?

1. We do it to vent our frustrations, believing that we’ll feel better afterward. Do we? Maybe for a short time, but serial venting doesn’t create lasting relief.
2. Grumbling builds on-the-job community. Oh, the joy of shared grumbling! We enjoy a kind of validation when others are complaining about the same stuff that aggravates us.
3. Complaining becomes habit. We can easily wire ourselves to see the downside of any situation, making our first reaction negative—the easy road.
4. We just join in. When everyone is complaining, it’s a snap to pile on. Chances are we have our own tale of woe to add to the mix. When we do, we’ve become part of the chorus.

Truth is: None of this is good for you.

Where does it get you?

Nowhere, actually. At first, it may seem like all this noise is somehow revealing useful insights about the workings of the company. That may be true for a bit, but after a time, it can actually blur reality.

Grumbling can lead to career damaging behaviors like:

- Excuse making
- Defeatism
- Anger and anxiety
- Declining self-image
- Inaction

The more you stay connected to negative perspectives about your boss, your coworkers, and the company, the more de-energized you become and the more inclined you are to under-produce.

Get over it!

If you’re in this pattern, it’s time to break it. If you’re not, here’s how to avoid it.

You don’t need to crawl under your desk and avoid your colleagues. The solution is about managing your involvement.

Believe me, I engaged in my share of grumbling about some of my bosses and company decisions I thought were ill-conceived. You just need to know when to “get over it” and move forward.

Here are some suggestions when the grumbling starts:

- Weigh in, if you feel the need, but don’t belabor it (hey, you have work to do)
- Articulate positive remedies like ways to deal with that boss who won’t listen and those teammates who don’t deliver
- Mobilize the grumblers in an effort to affect a change that you’ll lead
- Avoid complainers and seek out can-do colleagues as often as you can
- Develop a serious career action plan for yourself and stay focused on it, positioning yourself to navigate around negativity and into solutions environments

The business world is full of chronic complainers. You don’t need to be one of them. When you’re the one with the ever-present, can-do attitude, you’ll be reaping well-earned rewards.