11/05/2026
One of the biggest frustrations I hear from business owners and managers is this:
A workplace culture that becomes completely problem focused instead of solution focused. 😬
Now, don’t get me wrong. Employees should absolutely feel able to raise concerns. In fact, psychologically safe workplaces encourage challenge, discussion and different perspectives. If people don’t feel safe, valued or listened to, negativity and criticism often become symptoms of a deeper cultural issue.
But there’s another side to this conversation that businesses don’t talk about enough.
Some employees simply enjoy complaining more than contributing. They can identify every issue in the business, but have no real interest in helping move things forward. Over time, this mindset becomes contagious and can drain morale, productivity and leadership energy.
That’s usually not a performance issue alone. It’s often a values mismatch.
Businesses that are clear on their values tend to build stronger, more accountable teams. If collaboration, ownership and solution focused thinking are important to your organisation, those expectations need to be clearly communicated, lived by leadership and embedded into culture.
Not everyone will be the right fit for every business and that’s okay.
Sometimes the best thing for both the employee and the organisation is recognising that early. Make the most of the probationary period.
I think most business owners battle with this. If you do, maybe you need a chat with me! 😊
