Are you worried about “Quiet Quitting?”
It seems that every time I open an email that relates to employees, I see the words “Quiet Quitting.”
I just finished work in Tampa FL yesterday where I spoke to 3 groups of Chief Executives and “Key” Executives over the last three days. The topic came up a few times and I think we are all a little confused about what exactly “Quiet Quitting” is.
From my perspective it’s not very much different than being disengaged. Gallup has three classifications – engaged, disengaged and actively disengaged employees. For years I’ve taught companies to ferret out the actively disengaged because they are most likely doing damage to your company by impacting others good efforts.
I believe we can work with the other group of disengaged people (I like to categorize them as “The lights are on but no one’s home”) and help find ways to engage them. Celebrating and supporting them and the work they do is a good start. When people feel that they belong to a purpose or cause outside of themselves they are more likely to stay engaged.
The Quiet Quitters are people who have decided NOT to go the extra mile. They have decided that they will do the bare minimum at work and not buy into the “hustle culture.” They will do the bare minimum at work so they can be present to and for other activities in their lives. There are millions of people on Tik Tok spreading the word about it. You can even buy T-shirts that identify one as a “Quiet Quitter.” They say things like, “I’m not doing more than the company compensates me for” and “I’m rejecting the notion that employees should go above and beyond what the job description entails.”
Uh-oh.
That’s going to hurt your business AND your culture, and your customer’s experience.
According to Joe Galvin, the Chief Research Officer at Vistage International, a CEO coaching and peer advisory firm where I have been speaking for 24 years, “Boosting the Employee Experience is the most effective way to keep employees engaged and productive.” And these days that is about flexibility, compensation and wellness. And from my perspective – it’s about being happy at work and in your job, what ever that means to you.
Don’t be quiet about this topic! Start engaging in open and honest conversations about individual expectations, desires and goals. You want your people to have a “vested interest in the company. They want to feel like they are heard and know that their work is impacting the company’s larger mission” says Joe.
Now is the time to take a serious look at your culture and make meaningful changes. Start fostering a culture of real appreciation. Start having the tough conversations you need to have to make sure your people are heard and productivity doesn’t dip and that your employees are happy at work.
According to the Achievers Workforce Institute’s Belonging at Work Culture report, 41% of employees don’t feel valued at all. That’s a crime!
If you didn’t feel valued at work, perhaps you’d quietly quit too.
Let me know what you are doing to STOP this trend in its tracks.
If you want help creating a culture of appreciation and caring – call me. I can help 561-279-0027
Keep creating value for your people,
JoAnna
