Supply Chain

Stop Whining Already and Take This "Complainer" Quiz

Aug. 8, 2008

Are you a complainer? Author and consultant Jon Gordon has put together a short quiz designed to gauge exactly where on the whine-o-meter you fall. Read the five statements below, and then give yourself a score between 1-7 based on the following responses to describe how strongly you agree or disagree with the statement:

7. Strongly Agree
6. Agree
5. Slightly Agree
4. Neither Agree nor Disagree
3. Slightly Disagree
2. Disagree
1. Strongly Disagree

* I usually share my problems with others.
* I regularly express my negative feelings to others.
* I focus more on the causes of problems than on their solutions.
* If my life was made into a movie, I would characterize it as a drama instead of a love story, comedy or inspirational tale.
* I complain a lot.

Okay, now add up the scores, and then take a look at how you did:

35-30: You are a major complainer. Complaining has become a habit for you and it's time to do a No Complaining Fast and action plan.

29-24: You are a complainer. You spend too much time on the "complain train." Get on the Energy Bus instead. (At this point, you've probably figured out that Gordon must have written a book that encapsulates all these little slogans and catch-phrases like Complain Train, and you'd be right. You can order his book, The No Complaining Rule, by clicking here.)

23-18: You're in the middle of the road. Shift gears, focus on the positive and spend more time on the positive road.

17-12: Complaining isn't much of an issue for you. Stay positive.

11-5: You almost never complain. Keep cultivating and sharing the positive energy.

About the Author

Dave Blanchard Blog | Senior Editor

Focus: Supply Chain

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Contributing Editor Dave Blanchard provides the IndustryWeek audience his expertise in lean supply chain, reporting on topics from logistics, procurement and inventory management to warehousing and distribution. He also specializes in business finance news and analysis, writing on such topics as corporate finance and tax, cost management, governance, risk and compliance, and budgeting and reporting.

Dave is also the chief editor of Penton Media’s Business Finance and editorial director of Material Handling & Logistics.

With over 25 years of experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2010), and is a frequent speaker at industry events. Dave is an award-winning journalist and has been twice named one of the nation’s top columnists by the American Society of Business Publications Editors.

Dave received his B.A. in English from Northern Illinois University, and was a high school teacher prior to his joining the publishing industry. He is married and has two daughters.