Managing Complaints A  Leadership Essentials Course Online Course or Classroom Workshop (Classroom version now available in Spanish) How do you deal with team member complaints? Do you ignore them? Avoid them? Overreact to them? Or do you treat them as a way to solidify the team and improve team member self-esteem? Your own perception is not as important as the team member’s view of the problem. What may seem trivial to you could be very serious to the team member. So, all complaints must be treated with fairness and dignity.

Some complaints may appear to be minor – just irritations that might go away with time – but they will probably build up into larger problems. A small sore can fester and become a major wound. Also, a complaint is often a sign of a team member who is unmotivated and, therefore, unproductive.

Other complaints are serious to begin with, threatening the work environment. These can go from being an open wound to a fatality in terms of productivity and teamwork. It’s important to see complaints as chances to enhance your relationship with team members. The simple act of listening to and really hearing the complaint goes a long way toward making the team member feel important.

However, listening is not enough. In fact, if you listen and do nothing, the situation will get even worse. Instead, you need to deal with the issues and solve the problem, if possible.

Managing Complaints is available as a 1.5 hour online course or as an interactive, 4-hour group workshop designed for 6 to 18 participants.

• Understand why all team member complaints must be dealt with rather than ignored or dismissed.
• Be more sensitive to all the problems-minor or trivial, real or imagined-that can lie behind complaints.
• Understand techniques used to determine underlying problems, which are not always the same as those the team member thinks are responsible for his/her difficulties.
• Use various techniques to solve such problems while maintaining a positive relationship with the team member.

Skill Points

• Ask team member to detail complaint
• Get agreement on substance of complaint
• Ask team member for solution
• Schedule time for investigation and agree on action plan
• Set a date for follow-up meeting
• Summarize and confirm conclusion

• Understand why all team member complaints must be dealt with rather than ignored or dismissed.
• Be more sensitive to all the problems-minor or trivial, real or imagined-that can lie behind complaints.
• Understand techniques used to determine underlying problems, which are not always the same as those the team member thinks are responsible for his/her difficulties.
• Use various techniques to solve such problems while maintaining a positive relationship with the team member.

 The online course and the Participant Workbook may be purchased together for a
special "blended learning" price.

Course Materials

Facilitator Guide

• Complete instructions on how to conduct the workshop.
• Explanatory text for the trainer, sample trainer narrative, transcripts of video segments and facilitation notes.
• Facilitator Resource CD-Rom containing PowerPoint presentation, additional resources, and reproducible pages from the facilitator guide as well as entire participant workbook.

Participant Workbook

• Exercises, forms, skill practice aids, and a video synopsis
• Job Aids section with tools and resources for applying the skills learned in the workshop
• Memory Jogger Card providing a handy reminder of the workshop's skill points

Video (or DVD)

• Introduction followed by a scenario displaying positive use of the three skill points discussed in the program
• Video segments focusing on modeling positive behaviors for skill practices
• Scenarios in both office and industrial settings  

Delivery options:

• Workshop                 4 hours
• Online Training        1.5 hours
• Use as a Blended Learning session 

The complete Leadership Essentials
- more leadership solutions

• Essential Skills of Leadership
• Essential Skills of Communicating
• Developing Performance Goals & Standards
• Providing Performance Feedback
  
  Improving Individual & Team Performance:
• Managing Complaints
• Improving Work Habits
• Effective Discipline
• Resolving Conflicts
• Coaching Job Skills
  
  Personal Leadership:
• Delegating
• Supporting Change
• Communicating Up  

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Download the entire Leadership Series 
Course Objectives and Learnin Points

 Managing Complaints & the Leadership Series are products of
Vital Learning Corp., Omaha, NE