The Complaint Collector: Common Traits of Workplaces Where "Even If You Say Something, Nothing Changes" Increases

A new machine was installed at a certain company.

It was a machine that collected employee complaints.
All you had to do was speak into the input slot. Then the machine said in a soft voice,

"Anything else?"

Most people initially only said one thing.

Things about home. Things about clients. Money.
It was usually one of those, and the root of the problem seemed to be the same.

However, the machine was kind.

"Related to that, what everyday things bother you?"
"What is it about that person?"
"Please give specific examples."

As they were kindly asked, people gradually remembered.
Meetings are too long.
The desk is in a bad position.
That person's throat clearing annoys me.
Come to think of it, that way of speaking too.
That too. This too.

A complaint that was initially a single large stone gradually became a mountain of gravel.

The company was delighted.

"Voices have been visualized."

The number of complaints per week was posted on the wall.
This week more than last week, next week more than this week. The numbers steadily swelled.
Executives turned pale, and employees became even quieter.

Even though it was a machine for complaining, everyone felt a little nervous in front of it.
What should I say today?
I feel reluctant to talk about the same thing as last time.
So, let's find something else.

If you search, you'll find it.
And once you find it, it really starts to bother you.

One day, an old man from general affairs said,

"It's only natural that if you dig up your garden every day, you'll keep finding stones."

No one understood what he meant.

The old man nonchalantly unplugged the machine.

"From now on, let's do it just once a year. It's like a big clean-up. Only on that day, say as much as you want to say. The receiving side won't run away. In return, until the next time, we'll focus on fixing things rather than collecting complaints."

It was a drastic proposal.
But there was no better alternative.

The following year, the company rented a large venue.
A sign that simply read "Complaint Convention" was posted at the entrance.

Everyone talked a lot.
About their homes, their clients, money, and the small pebbles that hung beneath those.
The listeners lost color in their faces, but they didn't ask questions mid-way. That's because it would lead to unnecessary digging.

For the next year, the company genuinely made gradual improvements.
Meetings became shorter.
Chairs were replaced.
Irresolvable interpersonal relationships remained irresolvable, but at least they no longer multiplied weekly.

In the corner of the hallway, the complaint collector is still there.
Covered with a cloth, it awaits its next opening day.

Each time employees pass by it, they feel a little relieved.
It's not that stones have disappeared from the world.
It's just that they no longer have to pick them up every day and stuff them into their breast pockets.
Hopefully, there will be one less heavy stone by the next opening day.

Their footsteps on the way home were no worse than before.

 

---

 

Perhaps there aren't actually that many things that people are dissatisfied with.
If you break it down, there are many things, but when you trace it back to its roots, I feel that surprisingly few things are truly significant.

For example,

• Family matters
• Matters with clients or bosses
• Money matters

Many worries seem to stem from these areas.

The giant of psychology, Adler, said, "All human worries are worries about interpersonal relationships," and indeed, there are many situations where that feels true.

 

However, continuing to discuss the same worries for months is more difficult than you might think.

After discussing the same topic several times,

• I feel bad for mentioning it again and again.
• It might not change even if I say it.

Sometimes, we think that way and keep it to ourselves for a while.

But it's not always true that it will naturally lighten with time.

 

What was originally a single concern, "I'm a bit uncomfortable with Mr. Yo,"
as it's thought about repeatedly or asked about again,

"Long meetings are tough, and I'm still uncomfortable with Mr. Yo."

In this way, worries increase.

 

This is not because one is overly concerned or weak.
It's because when people continuously focus on something that bothers them, they tend to notice even small, irritating details surrounding it.

Moreover, deep-seated problems are not solved quickly.
If they could be resolved in a month, they wouldn't be deep-seated problems to begin with.

 

Then,

• The individual's stress gradually accumulates.
• The manager and company also face an increasing number of issues to address.
• As a result, the overall atmosphere of the workplace can become heavy.

Such a chain of events can occur.

 

That's why I believe that while listening to complaints is important, the frequency shouldn't be too high.

Ideally, once every four years.
At most, once a year.
At such intervals, hold a "Grand Complaint Convention" for a thorough inventory.
And after that, until the next time, focus on improvement rather than collection.
Wouldn't that be more constructive for everyone?

 

Diligently collecting complaints might seem sincere at first glance.
However, if the frequency is too high, it becomes less about improvement and more about excavation.
And excavation usually yields more than expected.

Of course, urgent problems or things that need immediate attention are different.
Those should not be postponed.

However, can we call it kind to continuously dig up even everyday complaints that aren't urgent?

 

People get genuinely tired if they keep looking at things they don't need to see.
Therefore, if you're going to listen to complaints, the listener also needs to be prepared.
If you're only enthusiastic on the day you collect them and don't fix anything afterward, it might even be better not to listen at all.

 

If you're going to do it, listen all at once.
Once you've listened, fix it.
Wouldn't that kind of bluntness actually be more sincere?