Venting Happens. Here’s How I Turn It Into Action.
Turning “Venting” of Your Direct Report into Action
I hear a lot of venting: Bad processes. Slow code reviews. Janky tools. I used to jump straight to fixing things. Now, I start by listening.
People want to be heard. So I give them space. I nod. I acknowledge. Then I shift the focus, and asks:
- “What’s one thing we can do right now to make this better?”
- “What’s within our control that we can do?”
- “How can I back you up while we work on this?”
It’s not soft. It’s practical.
My job isn’t to soak up complaints or to fix everything myself. My job is to help people take action where they can, and give cover when they need it.
So next time someone vents, let them.
Hear them carefully, and make sure they feel they are heard! Then push the conversation toward action.
This is how you build teams that get unstuck, instead of teams that just talk.