At the end of the day, I would feel much more better about my self knowing I actually fixed something and improved MYSELF than getting a compliment from someone I’d most likely never speak to again.

You know, looking back I realize this was the real meat of what I was talking about. Just do a good job. The rest will fall into place.

Thanks for the comment. It made me realize that is why I bother doing a good job. I pat myself on the back every time I feel I’ve done a good job. Or, as I like to say,

Thanks WB

I would have to agree with you on that… When I first started working at my new job I was getting loads of compliments from customers who were satisfied with the service I provided (even if I didn’t resolve the issue) - I felt proud no doubt. But after a while I started focusing more onto how I can fix the problem than making the customer feel happy.

At the end of the day, I would feel much more better about my self knowing I actually fixed something and improved MYSELF than getting a compliment from someone I’d most likely never speak to again.

I agree with you, people are much (oh so much) more likely to complain than complement. I think this is just human nature. On any given day try this.
From the time you wake up until the time you go to bed pick one person (even yourself if you like) and really listen to how many times they complain about something and how many times they praise something.

I think this little test will be very telling…

As with anything, relying on someone else to make you look good is merely a flake in the whole snowstorm. All of us must let our actions speak louder than words. By no means do I think people will get ahead faster waiting for others to say how great we are. Instead, we need to “toot our own horns” by excelling in what we choose to do.

I used to tell my guys all the time. “Do the thing that is bothering you then, and only then, bring forth your complaints.”

Whenever someone would do that I was much more likely (as a boss) to take their complaint to heart. Otherwise, I would catagorize them as a whiner.

When I worked at a large computer company, I never received any feedback from the customers. I was fresh out of college so never thought about it; I just figured that people are more apt to complain than compliment.

It wasn’t until I left the company that I found out the truth. I learned second-hand that several dozen customers had called to say what a great job I had done in fixing a problem. I worked in a lab that tried to recreate the problem then devise a solution so we were more likely to be successful vs. the typical phone drone.

Because of office politics, these compliments were never passed on by my boss because of several reasons. One of those reasons was because I was the new guy. Apparently I was doing a “better job” than my mentor (completing more work, receiving more compliments, etc.) and because it would look bad for my mentor, the boss simply never mentioned it.