Some time ago I wrote an article on quiet quitting – and how leaders may share more of the blame than they realize.
But that doesn’t quite tell the whole story.
There’s a Lot of Factors That May INFLUENCE Someone to Quiet Quit…
In the article, I talked about a lot of the factors that may push someone to quiet quit – from leaders who don’t learn about their people, to leaders who want the best from their people (but not the best FOR them).
It’s true that the environment we create in HR and as leaders have a large influence on how inspired and engaged our teams will be. We have the potential to bring out the best in our teams if we play our cards right.
But at the end of the day, people must take personal responsibility for how hard they work and the results they drive in the workplace. To the quiet quitters – this means you! You have to take responsibility for your own position in the workplace and the success of your career.
No Leader Can Make You Take Responsibility – You Have to Take it for Yourself
We’ve all met people who do the bare minimum no matter who they work for, or what environment they work in – effectively quiet quitting.
It’s unfortunate, but it’s a fact of life. It’s all well and good to look in the mirror and ask ourselves how leaders contribute to the issue, but we also have to accept the reality that for some people, it doesn’t make a difference.
If you have someone on your team who isn’t taking personal responsibility, no matter what you do – it might be time to invite them to seek success elsewhere.
It may be hard, but in the long run it’s better for everyone involved.
Quiet Quitters: Are You Thinking About the Long-Term Implications?
If you’re a quiet quitter or someone choosing to put in less than your best, you need to think long and hard about what it means for your career long-term.
Do you really want to count yourself out for future promotions or raises?
To get ahead in your career, you have to set yourself apart. These rewards go to the team members who have put in the time and effort to stand out from their peers.
When other team members are chosen for these rewards or recognition, you won’t have any excuse to be frustrated – because you chose to not differentiate yourself by quiet quitting.
Don’t forget the economy, either. We all know a recession is coming sooner or later. If you want to quiet quit, you might as well just quit now.
When the economy goes south and companies have to tighten their belts, the first people they’ll look at laying off will be the people who blend in and fly under the radar.
And before we quiet quit – wouldn’t it be more productive to have a conversation with our leaders about our concerns?
You don’t have to tell anyone you’re feeling disengaged or looking to quiet quit – but you can have an honest conversation about your concerns and perspective on the workplace.
If we start with open communication, we have an opportunity to actually fix our problems and improve the situation for everyone.
We all have a personal responsibility to not only provide for ourselves, but our family and any dependents.
You can try to pass the buck all you want, but at the end of the day, you need to take responsibility for your situation and do what you need to do to maintain and hopefully improve your financial situation.
Leaders, Focus on What You Can Control
As a leader, it can be frustrating to acknowledge that there are people who will quiet quit – and that there’s nothing we can do about it.
Instead, I recommend leaders and HR focus on what they CAN control!
You can’t do anything about the people who will always choose to quiet quit.
But you can still make the effort to create an environment and lead in a way that inspires people to give everything they’ve got. For every quiet quitter on your team, there will be three people who put in extra effort and go above and beyond for your efforts.