Maybe you feel like there’s a brick in the pit of your stomach. Maybe you can’t keep your mind focused on anything. No matter how you react, we all know what it feels like to have a problem that seems impossible to solve. And when you’re working on a big project with a busy team, it doesn’t take much for that feeling to spread and send everyone down a rabbit hole of “woe is me.”
Jim Brusnahan, Global Functions IT Business Partnership lead at Clarios, who created a technique called “One Gripe” to keep his teams focused on what’s possible, instead of letting problems and negative feelings fester, joined Clinton on the Catalyst podcast this week.
No matter the team or the project, the discussion starts the same way: everyone on the team gets one gripe off their chest, then faces it head-on. Is it something solvable? If so, the team discusses all the possible solutions, chooses the right one, and moves on. If the team determines it’s a bottleneck that won’t budge no matter what, they create a new plan. Regardless of the gripes, the goal is always to talk honestly and make things better.
Check out the highlights below, then dive into the full episode to learn more.
The “One Gripe” philosophy
Of course it’s upsetting and frustrating when a project gets blocked, funding falls through, or bureaucracy and corporate politics get in the way of progress. Unfortunately, these negative emotions yield negative attitudes and behaviors that end up creating a bigger setback than the initial hurdle ever did.
When these situations arise, Jim breaks his team out of it with a “One Gripe” session. He assures everyone that what is said in the session stays within the session, then goes one by one. Some people are very forthcoming — they have tons of gripes, while others are more reluctant to share. Even if Jim has to drag a gripe out of someone, everyone gets their thoughts out, making it an ideal technique for both extroverts and introverts.
Does this actually work?
Providing people with an outlet for their professional frustrations has proven successful for Jim and his team. Not only do the One Gripe sessions enable staff to blow off steam, but it also gives them the opportunity to work through their feelings and challenges with the support of their peers. It’s a deeply humanizing experience that contributes to a culture of emotional safety.
Getting One Gripe right as a leader
These sessions will unearth unique perspectives and reactions from each individual team member. Instead of arguing back or interjecting, let them vent. You won’t deescalate fear through being right and lecturing. The goal should be to work towards acceptance, and to lend support as a team.
However, One Gripe is not a cure-all. Sometimes, issues run deep and are harder to let go of. In these instances, Jim recommends finding another way to work through your emotions and encouraging staff to lean into their own preferred coping strategies. He recommends seeking advice from mentors, getting active, taking some space, or adopting mantras. Learning to cope with complex emotions and coach others through theirs is a process. You won’t always get it right and it takes time to master. But the best thing leaders can do is try.
As always, don’t forget to subscribe to Catalyst wherever you get your podcasts. We release a new episode every Tuesday, jam-packed with expert advice and actionable insights for creating digital experiences that move millions.
