It's time to go... but which door is the exit?

Have you ever accepted an invitation to a gathering that you immediately regret saying yes to?

Instead of respectfully declining, you show up and try to make the most of your time there. You have a few conversations with acquaintances, but realize that you don't have much in common.

"It's only 2 hours."

"Where's the door?"

"Is it bad if I leave early?"

At the back of your mind you just needed to find the nearest exit.

What's holding you back from leaving? You don't want to appear rude, disrespectful, or impatient?

Here's another scenario:

You go to the movies with a friend and halfway through you realize you made a bad selection. You lose interest in the movie and plot, and end up getting lost in your own thoughts.

"Why am I sitting here still?"

"When is this move going to end."

"What should I have for dinner?"

But you end up staying until the end because you already paid full price and don't want to pull your friend away.

Why do we stay in uncomfortable situations, even though we know that we would rather be somewhere else.

We stay out of obligation, feeling disengaged, uninspired, and bored.

What is going on?

Unfortunately, this phenomenon does not just occur in social settings, it is happening at work and continues to get worse.

Quiet Quitting

Quiet quitting is a relatively new term that describes workers who are just meeting expectations and not going above and beyond in their work. As our working styles have shifted over the last few years, so have our workforce's attitude.

According to Gallup, "Quiet Quitters" make up at least 50% of the workforce.

The decline in engagement is related to lack of clarity of expectations, lack of opportunity to learn and grow, decline in compassion and feeling cared for, and misalignment to the organization's mission.

There is a wider disconnect between employees and their employers.

How are we to continue to adapt to our continually changing work environments?

Do you feel like you are quietly quitting? If you are, you are NOT alone.

The issue

An issue that 1 in 3 managers are engaged at work. In other words, 2 out of 3 managers are disengaged? What happens to team morale, collaboration, fun, and connectivity when you have a disengaged manager?

Likely, the rest of the team will lean towards disengagement.

Managers and management need more help to foster healthy and inspiring work environments. Gallup suggests that managers have 1 meaningful conversation each week with their team members (15-30 mins).

Last week's article I shared that LISTENING is one of the most under-rated skills of a modern manager.

Should the entire shift be pushed onto managers? Definitely not! We are all trying to figure out better ways to stay motivated.

Prolonged disengagement can lead to stress, burnout, and mental health complications.

Whether you see yourself as the employer or the employee, we all have to take care of yourselves.

Tips

• Acknowledge in yourself how you are feeling in your job right now. It always starts with awareness and identification of a problem or opportunity.
• Ask for help. We are not alone.
• Have courageous conversations with your teams.
• For some, a job change may be inevitable. Consider working with a recruiter or career coach/advisor/counsellor

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