Quiet Quitting
In chatting with a woman who is doing some work for me she asked if I’d heard the term “quiet quitting”. I hadn’t and she proceeded to tell me what it referred to. Simply stated, it's a condition whereby people do the minimum amount of work they are assigned and they do so without energy and passion. I’ve been writing about the Disengaged Workforce for more than a few years now using Gallup’s Annual Research Reports on the World of Work. It's a serious problem.
Within a few days of this conversation, I saw the term a few more times: once from Tony Robbins. Next, I noticed it was “trending” on LinkedIn. Soon, it began to show up everywhere! The term is warranting greater press these days perhaps because members of Gen Z are digital natives and use social media almost exclusively as a means of workplace communication. . Employers are focusing the blame on their Gen Z employees. They assert that Gen Z is lethargic and lacking in work ethic. I think this is misguided. My years of experience have me viewing quiet quitting differently…
I believe that quiet quitting is a result of disengagement. Employee disengagement is an under the radar problem which I and Gallup have been addressing for years. Why, you might ask? A glance at the stock market demonstrates profits for some large corporations have soared during the Pandemic. Many continue to enjoy record profits, even as the stock market has been down over the last few months.
A large element of quiet quitting is that people are not receiving a living wage. Employers experience record growth as a result of the employee’s labor, and yet employees all too often are not able to live on the wages they are paid. Hence, many workers have left the job market to pursue other more satisfying and profitable employment opportunities or passions.
Suddenly new terminology has arisen and employers are taking notice of this new phrase: quiet quitting. They now blame Gen Z for this phenomenon which has been emerging for decades.
Heaven forbid they should assume some responsibility for the seriousness of the problem now.
Harvard Business Review estimates there is over $3 trillion in waste in today’s corporate bureaucracies. One Wall Street Journal Op Ed contributor commented how in most industrialized nations.managers have many more than 4 or 5 immediate subordinates, which is the norm in US workplaces.
Architecture and interior design firms recognize that structure affects people’s behavior. It's an underlying principle of their studies yet we have not addressed it in our large work systems.
If you have the good fortune to travel to Europe in August, you know that everyone except those in the tourist industry are enjoying their company sanctioned month’s vacation. Step away from work for a month and you return energized. Most Americans don’t even take two consecutive weeks off.
Requisite Organization (RO) is a comprehensive approach to large work systems established by Dr Elliott Jaques. This system, which has informed my coaching and consulting, consists of a core set of principles. Briefly put, the work system can be viewed as a living, breathing, dynamic organism. It has a purpose and core set of values around which the structure is built. Key to RO is a scientific grid which differentiates work from the simplest to the most complex. For example, when in a consultative mode I teach that first line managers can manage up to 60 people. This enables workers to actually differentiate who their “real boss” is within a larger organization, eliminating the frustration and “bad will” that occurs when they ask their supervisor for a raise. Supervisors can only recommend a raise to the manager or “real boss”.
I love this stuff and know in my bones and by client comments that it works. It takes time for employers to get the hang of it. Once that is accomplished, the culture of the organization is transformed as dialogue begins to occur at all levels. With the elimination of bureaucracy, space is made for creativity and innovation. and increased profitability blossoms.
Employees who are engaged, appreciated, and empowered? They have space to breathe and room to grow. As for “quiet quitting”? There is no need for it when an employee is excited about work!
Let's ignite a dynamic energy in your company. I'm excited to get started, so call me today!