Services
TAYA

They Ask, You Answer Mastery

A coaching & training program that drives unmatched sales & marketing results.

Sales

Sales Performance Mastery

Improve the competencies and close rates of your sales organization.

Web design

Website Mastery

Web design, development & training for your team.

HubSpot

HubSpot Mastery

Everything you need to get the most from HubSpot.

AI Mastery

AI Enablement Mastery

Unlock the power of AI in all aspects of your revenue operations.

Discover how IMPACT’s services can help take your business to the next level. Book a free 30-minute coaching session Book a free 30-minute coaching session
Learning Center
Learning Center

Learning Center

Free resources to help you improve the way you market, sell and grow your business.

Discover how IMPACT’s services can help take your business to the next level. Book a free 30-minute coaching session Book a free 30-minute coaching session

Free Assessment: How does your sales & marketing measure up?

Get Started
Close

Free Assessment:

How does your sales & marketing measure up?
Take this free, 5-minute assessment and learn what you can start doing today to boost traffic, leads, and sales.
Get Started
Creator's Block  |   Executives and Leaders

"Complaining About Clients & Playing the Victim" (Creator's Block, Ep. 61)

Liz Murphy

By Liz Murphy

Feb 13, 2018

"Complaining About Clients & Playing the Victim" (Creator's Block, Ep. 61)

Last week, while I was in the office, I remember saying to someone as a joke, "Our jobs would be perfect if it weren’t for clients, am I right?"

We were feeling a little stressed, and we had a good laugh about it. But later on, I regretted saying it -- even though it was said in jest.

This may make me sound like Pollyanna, but while I think venting is healthy, especially in an agency environment -- or heck, any work environment with insane deadlines and lots of collaborators -- I also worry about where we draw the line.

At some point, letting off steam in a totally normal way about clients -- or even the coworkers we’re partnering with on projects -- can devolve into something that’s really toxic, if you don't keep it (and yourself) in check.

It can drag everyone down, create opportunities for people to play the victim instead of taking responsibility, tarnish your reputation, or even completely subvert the positive culture your company is hopefully trying to cultivate.

So, that’s what we want to talk about today.

Why does this happen? Why is it a bad thing? How do we know when we’re crossing a line? And what do we do about it if we’re surrounded by it?

Enjoy!

Listen to the Episode

MarketHer iTunes Subscribe

What We Talked About

  • How and why do these moments of stress occur?
  • What's the difference between healthy venting and unproductive, victim statement-laden complaining?
  • What are the real consequences of being the unproductive complainer, and how does it impact your reputation?
  • How do you handle those stressful moments productively? Should you not talk about it to anyone?
  • How have we struggled with this in the past, and how do we deal when we need to vent?
  • Why is situational awareness so important?
  • How do you handle situations where others around you are being toxic with their negative statements?

Resources We Discussed

We Want to Hear from You!

First, subscribe to Creator's Block on Apple Podcasts. Second, have a question or an idea for a future episode of the podcast? Let us know! 

Or, you can leave us a comment below! Until next week...

Free Assessment:

How does your sales & marketing measure up?
Take this free, 5-minute assessment and learn what you can start doing today to boost traffic, leads, and sales.

Related Articles

"The farewell episode" [Creator's Block, Ep. 123]

February 25, 2020
Marcella Jalbert Marcella Jalbert

"The power of sharing personal stories" [Creator's Block, Ep. 122]

February 11, 2020
Justine Timoteo Thomas Justine Timoteo Thomas

"Why emotional web design is so important" [Creator's Block, Ep. 121]

January 21, 2020
Justine Timoteo Thomas Justine Timoteo Thomas

"Down with new year's resolutions and rethinking goal setting" [Creator's Block, Ep. 120]

January 7, 2020
Marcella Jalbert Marcella Jalbert

"How do we measure success in our careers?" [Creator's Block, Ep. 119]

December 24, 2019
Justine Timoteo Thomas Justine Timoteo Thomas

"The anti-productivity mindset: How doing less can be doing more" [Creator's Block, Ep. 118]

December 10, 2019
Marcella Jalbert Marcella Jalbert

"How to take client feedback like a pro" [Creator's Block, Ep. 117]

November 27, 2019
Justine Timoteo Thomas Justine Timoteo Thomas

"Why we should all play at work" [Creator's Block, Ep. 116]

November 12, 2019
Marcella Jalbert Marcella Jalbert

'To become more efficient, ask better questions' [Creator's Block, Ep. 115]

October 30, 2019
Justine Timoteo Thomas Justine Timoteo Thomas

5 Creator's Block episodes for when you are in dire need of some self-care

October 16, 2019
Marcella Jalbert Marcella Jalbert

"The Biggest Misconception of Client/Agency Relationships" [Creator's Block, Ep. 114]

October 1, 2019
Justine Timoteo Thomas Justine Timoteo Thomas

"Are Designers Ruining the World?" [Creator's Block, Ep. 113]

September 17, 2019
Justine Timoteo Thomas Justine Timoteo Thomas

"How To Really Win the Afternoon… or Not." [Creator's Block, Ep. 112]

September 5, 2019
Marcella Jalbert Marcella Jalbert

"The Biggest Mistakes You’re Still Making on Your Website" [Creator's Block, Ep. 111]

August 21, 2019
Marcella Jalbert Marcella Jalbert

"Are Voice Assistants the Next Frontier or the Start of Armageddon?" [Creator's Block, Ep. 110]

August 6, 2019
Justine Timoteo Thomas Justine Timoteo Thomas

"10 Bad Habits of Unsuccessful People" [Creator's Block, Ep. 109]

July 23, 2019
Marcella Jalbert Marcella Jalbert

"How to Survive a Company Restructure at Your Agency" [Creator's Block, Ep. 108]

July 9, 2019
Justine Timoteo Thomas Justine Timoteo Thomas

7 Episodes to Listen to On (or Before) Your Summer Vacation [Creator's Block]

June 25, 2019
Justine Timoteo Thomas Justine Timoteo Thomas

"How Minimalism Fosters Productivity" [Creator's Block, Ep. 107]

June 11, 2019
Marcella Jalbert Marcella Jalbert

"Avoiding Empty Promise Purgatory: When Good Intentions Are Not Enough" [Creator's Block, Ep. 106]

May 28, 2019
Justine Timoteo Thomas Justine Timoteo Thomas

"Progress Over Perfection: How Striving For Perfection Hurts the Creative Process" [Creator's Block, Ep. 105]

May 14, 2019
Marcella Jalbert Marcella Jalbert

"Agency Tough Love: When It's Time to Break Up with a Client" [Creator's Block, Ep. 104]

April 30, 2019
Justine Timoteo Thomas Justine Timoteo Thomas

Best Podcasts for Marketers and Creatives to Listen to During Their Week [Creator's Block]

April 3, 2019
Justine Timoteo Thomas Justine Timoteo Thomas

"The Life Changing Magic of Brain Dumping" [Creator's Block, Ep. 103]

March 19, 2019
Marcella Jalbert Marcella Jalbert

"What is 'Hustle Culture' and How Do We Break It?" [Creator's Block, Ep. 102]

March 5, 2019
Marcella Jalbert Marcella Jalbert