My current technique:

Bite my tongue before the complaint escapes my mouth.
Mull it over, see if it’s worth complaining about (90% of the time it isn’t, it’s usually just some self-justification nonsense)
If it is worth complaining about then I start digging around for something positive to take away, or try to find a way to state the problem in a positive way such that it isn’t a complaint. e.g. Instead of ‘Dammit! Anthony broke the build AGAIN!’, I’d try to rephrase ‘Man, our CI tool/Build Server is awesome. I’m glad we have a tool that gives us quick feedback about build breakages.’ (Wow, that seems like a weak example, but that’s all you’re getting!)

I’m actually wearing a purple rubber bracelet/wristband thing to keep me conscious of my complaints. If I complain (out loud), I have to switch it to the other wrist. I’m trying to go 21 days without switching. I think I switched twice yesterday :-/

I like your structured approach though, as far as the formal complaint. It gives both sides an exit strategy (complainer can exit early before the complaint happens) and the listeners can say ‘no’, or know that it’ll only last for ~X seconds/minutes. This is useful in situations where you do have to vent, and can’t seem to find a positive take away.

I think this is certainly a positive move from standard water-cooler complaining. Since I’ve been wearing this bracelet I’ve been much more cognizant of ‘complainers’. Holy smokes, they’re everywhere, and they complain ALL the time. Let’s have some REAL discussions, not just bitchin’ about how Anthony continues to break the build.

P.S. I have no idea if Anthony ever breaks the build… but I’m guessing it’s actually never.