Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xi

1 Hope 1

2 On Fire 3

3 Morale 7

4 The Phone Call 11

5 The Real Problem 15

6 Traffic 17

7 The Talk 23

8 The Cost of Negativity 27

9 It Could Be Worse 31

10 Cancer 35

11 The Positive Road 41

12 The Complaining Fast 45

13 Three No Complaining Tools 49

14 No News Is Good News 51

15 Fundamentals of Prosperity 53

16 The Bloggers 59

17 The Yard Guy 63

18 Friday 67

19 The Meeting 73

20 Positive Principles 75

21 Questions 83

22 More Traffic 87

23 Sunday 89

24 Monday 93

25 Hope Shares the No Complaining Rule 95

26 The Rollout 101

27 Play to Win 105

28 Hope Receives the News 107

29 Six Months Later 111

30 It's All Good 115

31 No Complaining Rule Action Plan 121

No Complaining Week Personal Action Plan 129

Are You a Complainer? Assessment 133

www.NoComplainingRule.com Web Site Information 137

Is Your Organization Positive or Negative? 139

Invite Someone On Your Bus 140

The Energy Bus Training Program 141

Other Books by Jon Gordon 143

Index 145

"Get off the complain train and read this book!"
—KEN BLANCHARD, coauthor of The One Minute Manager and The One Minute Entrepreneur

The No Complaining Rule

A STORY ABOUT POSITIVE WAYS TO TURN COMPLAINTS INTO SOLUTIONS, INNOVATIONS, AND SUCCESS

Every complaint represents an opportunity to turn something negative into a positive!

"Excuses always come from the losing locker room. In Jon Gordon's book The No Complaining Rule, he provides the winning edge."
—COACH LOU HOLTZ

"In a world in which so many, it seems, focus on the glass as half empty, Jon Gordon sets out a clear blueprint in The No Complaining Rule to help each of us better ourselves. His approach will cut negativity and can impact our workplaces and our families, and help us carve out more productive, lower-stress environments."
—NATHAN WHITAKER, coauthor (with Tony Dungy) of Quiet Strength

"Complaining is one of the biggest problems in business today. It undermines the effectiveness of a team and organization, leading to contempt and an inability to adapt and change. In The No Complaining Rule, Jon Gordon offers the antidote."
—KEN FISHER, CEO of Fisher Investments, Forbes columnist, author of The Only Three Questions That Count

It's Tuesday morning and Hope walks into her office with puffy eyes, a swollen head, and a broken heart. But unfortunately, her company—EZ Tech—is in worse shape than she is. The fact that their computer batteries are catching on fire is the least of their problems. Employees have been posting negative comments about management on blogs for the world to see, the media is attacking the credibility of the company, morale is at an all-time low, negativity is at an all-time high, and the stock price is sinking faster than the Titanic. As VP of human resources, Hope is charged with finding a solution to overcome the biggest challenge in her company's history. In the process of battling her own adversity, she discovers the no complaining rule and other positive ways to save her company and herself from ruin.

In the spirit of his international bestseller The Energy Bus, Jon Gordon once again shares an inspiring and enlightening story that reveals a powerful way to tackle the biggest problem in business and life—the negativity that costs organizations billions of dollars and impacts the morale, productivity, and health of individuals and teams.

Based on an actual company that created and implemented the no complaining rule, Gordon delivers an engaging story filled with innovative ideas and practical strategies to develop positive leaders, organizations, and teams.

For managers, team leaders, or anyone looking to turn negative energy into positive solutions, The No Complaining Rule shares powerful principles and an actionable plan to win the battle against individual and organizational negativity. When you implement the no complaining rule, you'll spend less time and energy on problems and more time focused on solutions.