Quiet Quitting has been quite the controversy lately regarding workplace culture and organizational performance. As we defined in our last article, quiet quitting starts when an individual chooses to do exactly what their job description entails… and no more. No weekend emails. No “live to work” mentality. No being on calls past business hours. People are looking for a balanced existence where work is a part of life, but not their entire life.
There’s a lot of talk among executives and leadership about how this is leading to less-engaged and under-motivated employees, ultimately affecting a company’s overall performance.
But what if quiet quitting is a just a healthy, purposeful choice for establishing boundaries and working to maintain better work/life balance? Is this really such a negative thing? As leaders, could we embrace this mentality and be at the forefront of positive change?
Imagine a few years from now, we look back and recognize that quiet quitting wasn’t about rebellion or poor work ethic, it was the beginning of what’s possible for valued employees and flourishing organizations.
In our last article, our experts helped us to see what quiet quitting really boils down to. The major takeaways:
- Quiet quitting is about a major shift in work mentality and it’s up to leadership to set new intentions
- Quiet quitting is often about communicating needs and seeking purpose
- Businesses need to have leaders with high empathy to understand what employees need
Instead of allowing quiet quitting to put ideas of disengaged staff in your mind, take a moment to allow the image of a positive future with healthy, engaged, and respected staff. Allow three of our experienced thought-leaders to aid you in that positive vision from the employee’s perspective.
Keynote speaker, author, and coach Alan Stein, Jr. articulates:
“I am a huge advocate of employees clearly establishing personal boundaries in an attempt to protect their work/life harmony. Clearly defining boundaries is a much-needed step to prioritize family, emphasize self-care, manage stress, avoid stagnation, and beat burnout. It allows for a healthier employee (mentally, physically, and emotionally). And a healthier employee is a more productive employee. If you want each member of your team to make a maximum contribution, you should encourage them to set boundaries!
One the other hand, I don’t believe this should be done quietly. I feel employees should openly and adamantly articulate their boundaries. I encourage them to schedule a formal meeting with their employer to clearly define their role and their expectations (as well as be open to receiving their employer’s expectations of them). This type of healthy confrontation will ensure both parties are on the same page, both are working cohesively, and both have a framework to hold each other accountable.”
Alan’s leadership challenge: Invite staff to have a 1:1 conversation and allow them to share what boundaries are most valuable to them. You’ll be amazed at the richness of a direct conversation and how knowing leadership is aware of their needs will impact their engagement.
Hall of Fame Speaker and human behavior expert, Colette Carlson, shares her insights:
“Quiet quitting takes on a different meaning post-COVID as stress and burnout are at an all-time high. Employees today are doing only what is expected — and nothing more — to preserve their sanity.
Employees feel the weight of late-night emails, meetings, and expectations that are out of alignment with the company’s publicized wellness programs – if they even have one. Workers need tools to address their stress and workloads. After all, providing employees a meditation app will not solve endless requests. Too often, employees are still paying a price when attempting to create boundaries, push back, or say no to an unrealistic expectation. People need a culture that honors health and well-being. One that serves people, not just profits. It’s why I’m passionate about providing communication, leadership, and stress management programs to support connected cultures where everyone is energized and engaged.”
Colette’s Leadership Challenge: Engage in conversations at the executive table to reexamine your company culture. Questions to consider: What is the collective energy in the workplace and how can better communication and leadership create a place that people want to commit the better part of their waking hours to? What do we owe our employees in terms of culture and opportunity?
Keynote speaker and employee retention expert, Joey Coleman, feels that the trend boils down to connection:
“Employees that are quiet quitting often feel that either (1) their “louder voice” hasn’t been heard, or (2) no one will notice their bare-minimum approach to work. Both reasons point to a lack of connection between employees and their leaders.
The solution to this problem takes time and effort. Find more ways to connect with your employees about what matters to them. What are their hobbies? What are their goals – at work and in their personal lives? If an employee feels connected to their employer and feels that their employer truly has their best interest at heart, they will be more committed and more engaged.
Most importantly? Lead by example. Employees can feel alone in their feelings of overwhelm and stress. Quiet quitting is a way to set a boundary and turn down the temperature on their overload – but leaders can help with this by modeling the behaviors they want employees to emulate. Leaders should set boundaries by:
- leaving work at the end of the day (instead of staying around for extra hours) – showing that it’s okay to go home when business hours end
- NOT answering emails outside of business hours – showing that it’s acceptable to “turn off” at night
- taking vacations and more importantly, single days off – showing that personal time off should be both accrued and used. And don’t email or leave voicemail messages from vacation! It sends the wrong message in more ways than one.”
Joey’s Leadership Challenge: Be aware of and commit to your own boundaries. Write them down if you need to! It starts at the top and trickles down. If employees see that management values their own time and health – while being engaged and thoughtful when in the office – they will feel comfortable doing the same.
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