“According to a survey of 2,000 eligible voters in the U.S. conducted in January (2023) for Newsweek by Redfield & Wilton Strategies, more than a third of workers (36 percent) are ‘quiet quitting’ (when defined as ‘doing the absolute bare minimum’). The same portion are looking to change jobs.”
VIM Executive Coaching is quite interested in the “quiet quitting” phenomenon. In many respects, it is more harmful than the “great resignation” walk-out of about 18-months ago. However, the issue of an employee essentially deciding to do nothing is only fascinating (to use that word), if executive leaders attempt to understand the reasons for why it is happening.
Walking off a job in a physical sense, rests on the shoulders of the individuals who get up from their real or virtual desks, open doors, and head for the street. However, quietly checking out of a job, even if the employee is physically present may also be the problem (and fault) of the executive leader.
The reasons why
What are the primary reasons for quiet quitting? All of the studies point to stress (unrealistic expectations) and burnout. Not surprisingly, the 2023 trend stemming from the quiet quitting trend of 2022, is “rage applying.” However, these labels are as much a social media construct as offering anyone a logical approach for fixing the problems.
Let’s face it, it is much easier to assign labels than to get to the root causes of serious issues. The observation of VIM Executive Coaching is that a wider gulf has been created between upper management and employees, that is wider now than at any other time in recent history. Executive leadership often has a hard time understanding why employees want to leave or have quietly quit and employees can’t formulate why it is hard for them to stay.
To be sure, there are social issues that have taken a greater role in how individuals feel about their companies and clearly greater diversity, equity and inclusion have always been important– and are now being demanded. Then, if issues of the environment, governance and other social issues are added, organizations must address and fix those problems.
VIM Executive Coaching would clearly not wish to associate with an organization that purposely pollutes or discriminates or misstates their financial status. However, those are blatant reasons to leave a company.
What about the subtle reasons that are not formulated and then verbalized. Honestly, many employees and executives alike are unable to state why the gulf has become so wide. However, we believe we have the answer, and it is as enduring as ancient: mindfulness.
Mindfulness in the antidote to quiet quitting
If the executive leader and key employees are clearly “present,” and aware of the issues, then there is the possibility grounds and accommodation can be made for authentic communication and problem solving. Yet, it is surprising that even now, at the beginning of 2023, that being present is so seemingly difficult to attain.
Honesty has been a tough commodity to secure these past few years. It is far easier to maintain sides than it is to solve problems and certainly less “painful” to ignore issues than to heal.
Mindfulness demands communication, awareness and reaching for common goals. How did organizations get to this point? Frankly, it took years, far before the pandemic for organizations to get into this mess.
Nevertheless, it doesn’t mean that problems are intractable to the point of being unsolvable. Mindfulness, communication, awareness and authenticity are keys. It is up to executive leaders and employees alike, to acknowledge that coming together is not only recommended but an imperative.