Many years ago I attended a seminar in which I was told about a concept around the three C’s: Never criticise, condemn or complain; Rules to be applied when dealing with clients. Now, years later I haven’t forgotten it. With the rise of social media, a place where almost anything goes, the three C’s seem lost. People criticise everyone and everything seemingly with impunity, condemn with the same fervour and complain as if in doing so can improve one’s life immeasurably. But can it? Probably not.
In real life I limit contact with complainers; I rarely find anything positive in them and in general they seem more intent on focusing on the complaint rather than seeking a resolution, a change or way forward, from the situation that caused it. They tend not to be proactive. The same for those who criticise and condemn others, concepts, the work place, an event, indeed anything at all. I find listening to it far more draining than working towards a resolution or solution to the issue, and I find it negative. src
I’ve got a few of those types at my office and even the sight of them leaves me feeling a little drained because I know what to expect from them generally. I’ve tried to work with it but never really get anywhere and so I avoid them. Fortunately they are not in my team and I’m not their direct manager so it doesn’t affect my process and results, but it does affect the overall culture at the office, and not positively.
Applying the three C’s is not always possible…Hmm, well it is always possible however maintaining such a high self standard for humans is not the easiest thing to do, so it doesn’t always happen. I’ll stick my hand up and say that *I certainly don’t always adhere to the three C’s. I’m not sure anyone does, or would be willing to suggest they do. Any takers? Yeah, I thought not.
Removing negativity from one’s life, from one’s attitude, ethos, thoughts and actions can be difficult; A task made more difficult by feeding it into oneself through absorption from others. I have a saying, if something or someone is negative don’t go as often and don’t stay as long. If you can avoid going at all then do that. I deploy it in cases where negativity has a chance or opportunity to seep into me. It can be difficult of course as some things are unavoidable, but is a habit I’ve created and one that helps me to maintain a positive, productive outlook at work, in my life, relationships and within me in general. a positive outlook, inwardly helps me push it outwards.
Embracing the three C’s is something that not everyone will do, or will want to, do and that’s ok. We’re all different after all. However some take that ethos and apply it…Many subconsciously, and many with great results.
I’m not always positive. I whinge and whine about things, have negative thoughts and have down-days like everyone. I try not to project it outwards though, to others, and I try to identify it quickly and put strategies in place to arrest it; Strategies I’ll write about someday I guess. We are all a little flawed, broken and imperfect and this post isn’t designed to change that…We can’t change it I think. But in writing it I’ve realigned my thoughts, refocused and affirmed within myself the importance of removing negativity and deploying the three C’s. I’ve been feeling a little uninspired today and I needed this self-reminder.
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