For me, it used to be so easy just to dismiss a griping and complaining employee as being a pain in the butt and tune them out.
I couldn’t see any value in all their noise and who needs another pain in the butt anyway.
So this was me before I really started to manage anybody even though I had the title.
Well, I finally figured out that maybe I should tune into them instead of tuning them out and I discovered something very interesting…
Not all griping is created equal.
By that I mean, some employees are griping and complaining because you’re managing them and asking them to do the job they’re hired for, and some are griping and complaining because there are obstacles in their way preventing them from doing the job they’re hired for.
There is a big difference here.
In one case, for example,  a person might be unhappy because their comfort and routine is being rocked by a decision that didn’t support their personal preference; Their idea of how things “ought” to be is not being met.
In the other case, a person might not have the right tools, support, materials or training.  They’re quite willing but feel they can’t do their job well. Maybe they’re not the greatest communicator and their frustration comes out as griping.
The first case is on them.  We are not in the business to make employees happy at all costs.
The second case is on us.  We are in the business to reasonably provide what an employee needs to be successful in a stable professional environment.
I guess the point is that griping and complaining from a staff member is not a signal to write them off as a problem, but a signal that there is a problem that we can potentially solve.
Either way we need to manage not ignore.