This expression Never Complain; Never Explain was apparently first coined by the British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli and has been adopted by senior British politicians figures including Winston Churchill and by the Royal Family and in particular the Queen Mother – see this article. It has also been used as a sort if mantra by public figures in other arenas such as the actress Katherine Hepburn.
I think this maxim which clearly applies to political also has some relevance to the working world – see this blog or this one, for example. It does however spark an interesting debate. The complaining part is fairly obvious – you rarely get anywhere in my experience in say a negotiation or business change by moaning and complaining about how things are going. It’s a negative reaction and distracts from solving the issue or implementing the change, even if it is a difficult one. In management it can be an excuse which does not impress a boss and confuses a subordinate – why is my manager complaining to me about say someone else in their team?
As Brian Tracy the Canadian American motivational speaker and author advises Never Complain, Never Explain. Resist the temptation to defend yourself or make excuses.
The explain part is harder and there are some different views, for example, in this Forbes blog which suggests you should always explain to millennials. Maybe this sort of expression comes from a more authoritarian world and lends itself to a hierarchical as opposed to an inclusive management style.
I can understand this, but I suggest there is a basic truth here about just getting on with things, however difficult the circumstances may be, and not seeking to justify decisions and actions once these have been determined perhaps after going through a consensus process.
I do see that it can be a positive and sometimes enlightening advantage to take colleagues into your confidence and explain why you are proposing a particular course of action. That must be a good thing. But seeking to go too far and always seeking support or validation for decisions may indicate some uncertainty about the course of action in the first place – and perhaps generate comment or debate when none is needed.
The art critic Dave Hickey captures perhaps the essence of this when he saidGossip is the currency of the discourse, so you should shut up about yourself. Never confess, never explain, never apologize, and never complain.
Anyway, as Elbert Hubbard advised Never explain; your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe you anyway!
On balance, whilst I think this expression can be taken and applied too literally, there is virtue around looking ahead and getting on with things and not griping or carping about events or seeking to vindicate behaviour.
I think this maxim which clearly applies to political also has some relevance to the working world – see this blog or this one, for example. It does however spark an interesting debate. The complaining part is fairly obvious – you rarely get anywhere in my experience in say a negotiation or business change by moaning and complaining about how things are going. It’s a negative reaction and distracts from solving the issue or implementing the change, even if it is a difficult one. In management it can be an excuse which does not impress a boss and confuses a subordinate – why is my manager complaining to me about say someone else in their team?
As Brian Tracy the Canadian American motivational speaker and author advises Never Complain, Never Explain. Resist the temptation to defend yourself or make excuses.
The explain part is harder and there are some different views, for example, in this Forbes blog which suggests you should always explain to millennials. Maybe this sort of expression comes from a more authoritarian world and lends itself to a hierarchical as opposed to an inclusive management style.
I can understand this, but I suggest there is a basic truth here about just getting on with things, however difficult the circumstances may be, and not seeking to justify decisions and actions once these have been determined perhaps after going through a consensus process.
I do see that it can be a positive and sometimes enlightening advantage to take colleagues into your confidence and explain why you are proposing a particular course of action. That must be a good thing. But seeking to go too far and always seeking support or validation for decisions may indicate some uncertainty about the course of action in the first place – and perhaps generate comment or debate when none is needed.
The art critic Dave Hickey captures perhaps the essence of this when he saidGossip is the currency of the discourse, so you should shut up about yourself. Never confess, never explain, never apologize, and never complain.
Anyway, as Elbert Hubbard advised Never explain; your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe you anyway!
On balance, whilst I think this expression can be taken and applied too literally, there is virtue around looking ahead and getting on with things and not griping or carping about events or seeking to vindicate behaviour.
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