We all know them -- sometimes we are them: the complainers at work. The people who suck the energy from the rest of the staff with their endless kvetching.

The lost productivity caused by complaining costs the U.S. economy $250 billion to $300 billion every year, according to the Gallup Organization.

Enter Jon Gordon and his new book, "The No Complaining Rule." The book is a story, and a short one at just 136 pages, about a fictional company that addressed its business crisis by addressing the negative culture of its employees.

Mr. Gordon wrote the book as a story, rather than a how-to manual, he said, because he wanted to cross the divide between business and everyday life.

The idea came from a business with which he was working in Jacksonville, Fla. PPR Healthcare Staffing's Chief Executive Officer Dwight Cooper instituted a no-complaining rule -- and the company's growth outstripped its competitors'.

An added benefit of the no-complaining rule is that die-hard complainers start to opt out. If you tell people who are interviewing that there is a no-complaining rule, the most negative job candidates will go elsewhere, as often will negative employees who feel stifled.

Mr. Gordon's "The No Complaining Rule" creates an action plan to show companies how to implement the idea.

"It's helping people be aware of the negativity that exists," Mr. Gordon said. "They know negativity is a problem, but they don't know what to do with it."

Not allowing employees to complain isn't exactly realistic, he concedes. However, giving employees a chance to solve problems at work can change the culture of an organization.

The action plan presents ways, including company intranet sites or even the good old-fashioned suggestion box, for employees to make a statement and feel they have been heard. Those suggestions have to be followed up with action or at least serious discussion about possible actions by the management team.

Mr. Gordon suggests kicking off the program with a complaint-free week.

Mr. Gordon's techniques include turning complaints into positive statements by adding a "but" at the end (such as: It is really cold in my office, but at least I have a sweater).

He suggests focusing on "get to" statements rather than "have to." For instance, instead of saying I had to read Mr. Gordon's book for work, I say I get paid to read Mr. Gordon's book -- and the business editors get paid to read this article.

And the last piece is to turn complaints into solutions so that the mindless complaining is eliminated and replaced with problem solving.

Mr. Gordon said the message was "don't complain unless you have a solution. No one can argue with that. In their hearts and in their minds they know it's the right thing."