Making Quiet Quitting Obsolete
How do you make quiet quitting obsolete? Being a purpose specialist I guess you’d expect me to say it’s all about clarity and implementation of purpose, and you’d be right!
When purpose is well executed it leads to energising and exciting work cultures that take quiet quitting out of play. The catch? They are hard to create, but once you have them in place, a little bit of ongoing attention is usually enough to sustain them.
Is quiet quitting new?
Did you know that before quiet quitting there was the Chinese equivalent of “lying flat“? They both describe a philosophy of doing the bare minimum in your job, either because you don’t care enough or because you don’t see the point in sacrificing quality of life outside of work for the lure of corporate ascension.
I’m sure you’ve worked with people who have checked out of their job …or never checked in to start with. You see it in most work environments and thanks to social media platforms we are seeing a revival tour of this practice.
The evidence suggests quiet quitting isn’t a new concept at all. Gallup data going back 20-years shows there’s little change in the “actively disengaged” portion of the workforce.
What are your options?
Location, skillset or other factors may limit your alternative employment options, in which case the challenge is to reframe your work experience. That can be hard if there are deep-seated problems with co-workers, managers or the organisation itself.
If you do have alternatives, though, then I don’t see why you’d want to hang around in a role that isn’t interesting or inspiring if there are better opportunities out there. Life is finite, why choose misery?
For executives, leaders and managers, your task is to brighten up the work experience to avert any enthusiasm (or is it apathy?) for quiet quitting, and a purpose-led approach provides the foundations you need.
Making quiet quitting obsolete
First of all, it’s about a positive mindset and thinking creatively rather than falling into a defensive state. Secondly, attaining a deeper understanding of purpose and they way it manifests in your work and life provides the key to a considered and powerful response.
It’s one thing to say “purpose is great” and another thing to actually understand what you are doing and making it happen. A purpose-led response requires an awareness of, and focus on, these 5 layers:
- Personal – the goals or sense of purpose you gain outside of work
- Professional – purpose derived from developing your career and craft
- Role – purpose vested in the day-to-day role you perform
- Team – the dynamic, culture and sense of achievement in your team
- Organisational – the purpose of your organisation or industry you’re in.
Each of these 5 components takes time and skill to develop, however it’s a useful blueprint to work from. Do a quick self check-in now to gauge where you are at?
If these aspects are worked on and progress is made, then work is going to be a positive place where you and others can thrive. It doesn’t mean giving over your life to your employer – strong work cultures are built on quality (more than quantity) of human input.
If people around you don’t buy in to a purpose based approach, then you seriously have to ask whether they are doing themselves a disservice by being there? Other life choices may make more sense.
Next steps for you?
A purpose-led approach can make quiet quitting obsolete. However it requires the right level of focus from directors to executives to managers and frontline staff, plus a willingness to challenge the status quo.
The gains are hard won … and the rewards are transformational.
Phil Preston is a purpose and impact specialist. As a keynote speaker, facilitator, author and coach, he empowers positive change in the people, teams and organisations he works with. You can contact him via hello@philpreston.com.au
Copyright Phil Preston 2022, all rights reserved
Banner photo credit: Sander Sammy via unsplash.com
