Quiet Quitting Is Real, and It's Not Going Anywhere

If some members of your team are unwilling to go above and beyond to achieve your company's goals, you are in the presence of an old behavior that peaked in 2022 and is still very much alive as we navigate 2023.

Quiet quitters is a name some employees receive because they don't put in extra hours, say no to requests beyond expectations, and reject the idea of work being the central focus of their life. This can be problematic, especially since most jobs today require some level of extra effort to collaborate with coworkers and meet customer needs.

These people fit Gallup's definition of disengaged workers: "Not engaged employees are psychologically unattached to their work and company. Because their engagement needs are not being fully met, they're putting time -- but not energy or passion -- into their work."

Feeling engaged at work has become more difficult since the pandemic. Engagement rates began to decline in the second half of 2021 and took another big hit in the second quarter of 2022. The reason? Lack of clarity around expectations, opportunities to learn and grow, feeling cared about, and a connection to the organization's mission or purpose.

Gallup reported that almost half of the U.S. workforce had lost interest in going beyond their duties, confirming that quiet quitting significantly increased in 2022. The bad news: It's 2023, and the trend is returning. Who's to blame? Let's find out.

It's on the job or on the boss

Quiet quitting can easily happen in environments where a sense of community and belonging has been disrupted, the work culture lacks opportunities to learn and grow, and job expectations are unclear. In other words, when the team has lost connection with the company's mission.

The Harvard Business Review has been researching for decades to understand that behavior and establish if the phenomenon has to do with the work environment. Surprisingly, their study showed that quiet quitting is not about the employee's willingness to work harder but the manager's ability to build relationships with their team.

We've all had managers who have made us feel undervalued and unappreciated, pushing us to quietly quit. We've also had managers that inspire us to go the extra mile with no resentment. The numbers prove it.

When managers are good at balancing results with relationships, 62% of their direct reports were willing to give extra effort, while only 3% were quietly quitting. Engaged employees increase the organization's productivity. On the other hand, the least effective managers have three to four times as many people who fall in the "quiet quitting" category compared to the most effective leaders.

It's a fact that managers are the ones to blame for lack of motivation. But what happens when they're the ones quietly quitting? What if your manager is the one quietly quitting?

What if your manager is the one quietly quitting?

According to Ken Blanchard, 66% of leaders quietly quit in 2022. How do you know if your manager is part of that group? Here are three key signs:

1. They constantly cancel or miss 1:1 meetings and don't reschedule them. If this is happening, take the initiative and request a meeting. Better yet, check your manager's calendar and schedule the meeting yourself.
2. They avoid conversations about your future in the company. They may not be in a powerful position to make decisions about promotions, raises, or any movement in the organization, so don't assume negative intent. Regardless, share your career aspirations and ask them for advice on improving your skills and building your experience.
3. They are not setting you up for success and are not willing to give you other opportunities. If you're feeling stuck, it's time to have a candid conversation with your manager about the type of work and responsibilities you'd like to take on. It's their job to help you achieve those goals.

For some, quiet quitting is a sign of poor management, and that goes up to a leadership level. That's why it's important to train your leaders to listen to and understand their teams. Having meaningful conversations with their direct reports can reduce disengagement and burnout.

If you feel your manager is quietly quitting, speak up and express your needs. Be proactive in having career conversations and openly talk about what your future looks like. Advocating for yourself is a skill you need to develop professionally.

How to quit the quiet quitting crisis

We've established that quiet quitting is a symptom of poor management. Some leaders put some effort into motivating their teams, while others don’t even try, ignoring the impact this has on the company.

The truth is that this phenomenon is as old as time, and some organizations solved the problem before the term was even born. The good news is that while only 32% of U.S. employees overall were engaged in 2022, the world's best organizations see 72% of their workforce engaged.

How do they do it? They use their corporate culture and values to guide business decisions while focusing on building strong relationships with their employees. Most importantly, they invest in training so their management team develops the skills and tools to build authentic relationships with employees and have meaningful conversations with them.

Whether the trend continues in the media, the feeling behind it isn't going anywhere until organizations hire and develop better managers.

In my upcoming book, I'll give you a jump start in the process of becoming an effective, respected, and valued manager.?The book will be available on Amazon on September 20th, so save the date and grab a copy and start your management journey on the right foot.

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