Quiet Quitting? It’s Time To Make Some Noise

Written by: Ellen Kocher, Executive Contributor

Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.

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The term “great resignation” was coined in 2021 by an associate professor at University College London when he predicted an exodus of workers from their jobs, prompted by burnout, and the taste of freedom while working from home. Over one year later, whether we call it the Great Resignation, Shuffle, or Rethink, there is a disruption in our workplaces and in how people want to work.

The latest trend is “Quiet Quitting” where people don’t quit their job, but they quit the idea of going above and beyond. As quiet quitting has become increasingly popular, employees from practically every profession are wondering whether they should quietly quit, too. “Quiet Quitting” has a huge impact on the bottom line through customer satisfaction, employee engagement, relationships, self-esteem, and attitude.

It’s Time to Make Some Noise!

A few facts:

• People’s relationships with work have changed

• People are seeking roles and organizations that are more aligned with their values

• The search for meaning has become more apparent

• The pandemic “pause” made many people more aware of work-life balance

• 70% of employees say their sense of purpose is largely defined by work

• Being out of touch with a sense of purpose at work is a leading cause of stress

• People with a defined sense of purpose get better results and are better leaders than those who don’t.

So, defining and aligning our purpose at work keeps us motivated, focused, and satisfied far beyond paychecks and performance. When well done, this gives a sense of oneness and togetherness in the job and the organization as a whole.

Aligning values, jobs and life has been shown to improve:

• Overall well-being

• Workplace safety

• Productivity

• Absenteeism

• Motivation and Commitment

• Job satisfaction

• Employee morale

• Stress

• Burnout prevention

• Turnover

• Performance

• Customer satisfaction

• Quality of life.

Quiet Quitting is Bad for Business, so it’s time to make some noise!

Though the ball is in the court of employers, managers, and executives to design jobs to give employees pride and satisfaction in their work at a fair wage, employees also need to redefine and be clear about what they want and need — their life purpose. With the baby boomer generation retiring, there are fewer workers to take their places. The younger generations are smart enough to realize that the demographic and economic contexts put their skills and motivation at a premium and may give them a bit more latitude in making choices. The balance between companies’ needs for staff and the expectations of employees to engage is has changed, forcing organizations to reconsider the way they attract and retain the workforce they need to deliver.

5 Simple Steps to align employees with employers, jobs, and life:

For Employees:

1. Make a clear list of what DRAINS you and what DRIVES you at work and at home

2. Do a Self-Assessment to define or re-define your values.

3. Align and match your drainers and drivers with those values.

4. Based on this, figure out what needs adapting to feel more aligned to build resilience, and feel more purposeful.

5. Speak with your manager, boss, or partner. Communication is key to aligning everyone’s expectations. In other words, make some noise!

For Employers:

1. Ask all team members to share what DRAINS and what DRIVES them at work and at home

2. Discuss how these DRAINERS and DRIVERS align with your organization and jobs.

3. Discuss how these align with personal values (defined above).

4. Agree on how Team-Group can align work and commit to meet values and reflections.

5. From the leader’s perspective, this requires further development of active listening, communication, and empathy so employees feel supported. Leaders should focus on engaging in regular conversations and building relationships based on trust with their employees. Once you’ve discovered what drives and drains people, you can set expectations within and beyond work. This means, committing and investing as leaders and teams. In other words, reaching out to make some noise!

These steps, though simple, are not always easy to do alone. A coach can support you in facilitating this important work and help you commit to sustainable goals that make your people want to stay and thrive. I can help you, and your teams, get where you want faster and easier, and let’s face it, with “quiet quitting”, you have no time to waste! Please learn more about me at www.whealthness.ch and reach out to discuss your specific needs.

Don’t stay quiet… it’s time to make some noise!

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit my website for more info!

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Ellen Kocher, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine

Ellen Kocher is an Economist and Certified Workplace Wellness Consultant who holds a master’s degree in Health & Wellness Coaching. Following 10 years as an Executive in Finance, Ellen made some major lifestyles change and has dedicated the past 20+ years to walking her talk through workplace wellbeing, promoting a holistic approach to eating, physical activity, health, resilience, and self-care. Ellen has coached hundreds of individuals and groups in dozens of organizations to make sustainable lifestyle changes empowering them to go from knowing what to do to actually doing it! Most recently Ellen’s work focuses on the 50+ demographic.