Nearly every conversation finds its way to the topics of:
My boss is the worst!
I hate my co-workers!
They are just so unfair!
They won’t even let me do my job!
No one else has to do this, why do I?
Or my all time favorite, I wish I could just quit!
The first few times your friend utters these phrases, you can be supportive, offer advice and just listen. But what should you do after the 20th time? Or when you realize that his hatred of his position is more than just a few bad days?
Personally, I’ve stopped offering advice and suggestions. Now I just listen and when it is appropriate, try to steer the conversation to a happier subject because it is obvious that my friend is not yet in a place where he can be proactive about his situation.
He doesn’t want to change his behavior or outlook and moreover, refuses to see that he may actually be the problem in the situation.
How do you handle this kind of conversation?