What is quiet quitting? It’s the practice of meeting the requirements of the job and doing no more. The imprecision of such a definition makes the idea quite ambiguous. Many quiet quitters take this approach to combat burnout, disengagement, or lack of purpose. Through the lens of setting personal boundaries, it might be viewed as a healthier approach to work. On the other hand, it could be viewed as under-the-radar undermining of colleagues, teams and organizations – a passive aggressive response to a challenging situation. Any way you look at it, quiet quitting doesn’t address the underlying issues for all involved.
Fortunately, the psychological safety and communications skills of compassionate leaders prepare them to lead in ways that will reduce the drivers of quiet quitting, or quickly respond if they realize that their team is dissatisfied in ways that have led to the behavior. Let’s explore some approaches to creating an environment of safety, trust, and belonging.
Make sure your team feels safe speaking up.
The first red flag about quiet quitting is that there is a problem facing someone in your organization and they aren’t talking about it. They are taking unilateral action that could have negative consequences for the organization. Their action could be the result of healthy boundary-setting for themselves, or it could be a passive-aggressive act of sabotage. What is certain, however, is that they aren’t talking to you about their concern.
Amy Edmondson, the leading researcher on organizational psychological safety, defines psychological safety as “When people feel their workplace is an environment where they can speak up, offer ideas, and ask questions without fear of being punished or embarrassed.” It’s clear from this that quiet quitting and psychological safety don’t co-exist easily. Colleagues who feel free to ask questions or speak up don’t take quiet action. They seek collaborative solutions. Quiet quitting is the action of someone who doesn’t feel that their views will be respected, their contribution valued, or that their needs will be met.
Don’t wait for your team to speak up.
While it is extremely important to create a culture of psychological safety so that your team will feel free to speak up, that doesn’t mean you have to wait for them to share their views. Have you asked your team how the last three years have affected them? Or have you been curious about how they have been the last month or week?
Checking in with your team in ways that could lead to a difficult conversation is hard. Many managers hesitate to solicit the needs of their team members, fearing that they will raise expectations. Go ahead and ask, and then listen deeply. Recognize that it is critically valuable to simply be heard and understood. When you can’t fulfill the wishes of team members, by understanding what they want, you are in a better position to make it clear how each decision is made. When you hear and understand them, you will be surprised how well they will hear and understand you. In addition, whatever dialogue unfolds may offer an opportunity to find alternative solutions that you have not already considered.
Remember to check in with yourself as well. How have the last three years affected you? What do you need to be able to continue leading in these challenging times? Taking time to attend to your own inner compassion will contribute to the ease with which you can connect and relate to your colleagues.
Shared agreements are at the heart of compassionate leadership.
Our definition of leadership is the ability to influence others in moving toward achievement of a common goal. A common goal requires agreement on the goal. Do you have truly shared goals? Or have you made decisions and then sought buy-in for those decisions? Buy-in is never a substitute for actual input. Those who will be responsible for carrying out plans should also be involved in the plan’s development.
Quiet quitting is a sign of dissent from either goals or from the process to achieve those goals, or both. If you want to avoid quiet quitting in your organization, it is crucial to understand how deeply your team agrees with the organization’s purpose. Additionally, and perhaps even more important, is agreement with how you will reach your goals. If you are expecting personal efforts from your team, it must be clear why that effort is required, and why it matters.
In conclusion…
It’s about so much more than a paycheck. You have the opportunity to connect with your team at deeper levels when you find shared purpose in your work. Couple that shared purpose with mutual trust and respect, and you will be creating the culture required to engage your team and build a thriving organization.