http://workawesome.com/career/why-complaining-doesnt-work/
Some things to keep in mind that make for a good barometer when comparing making yourself heard and complaining to consider include:
- How long have you been with the company? Longer term employees are often more influential with their suggestions and have the ear of management than newer ones.
- What is your position with the company? Your standing in the workplace plays an important role in determining how often you can offer up insight.
- What’s your performance record like? A good rule of thumb can be summed up like this:
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Outstanding = Offer away!
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Good = Gracefully give…
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Average = Act accordingly and angle yourself first…
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Poor = Put up first; shut up for now…
One thing to consider is that those who complain end up having to be compliant more often anyway. That’s because complaints rarely offer a solution when bringing up the problem. Offering up solutions brings more opportunities. You don’t have to acquiesce as much because you’re seen as a part of the effort as opposed to being, well, opposed to it. It’s always a good idea to bring a solution to the table when you bring up a problem. Doing so puts your offering in a better light. Sure, the offer may still get rejected, but your superiors will note that you at least have some foresight and initiative when coming to them with something you deem as an issue. That’s never a bad thing on both fronts…they’ve gained some insight on you and (hopefully) they’ve offered some insight into the operations of the company that will allow you to come forth with better and more realistic solutions the next go-round.