So what is quiet quitting?
Have you ever had an employee who use to deliver outstanding quality to later find that one day they do the minimum, do their job, but no longer show the energy, passion and drive they once use to.
They do not quit the job but they dial back their efforts and do the bare minimum.
They do the basic minimum job to a point where you can not fire them for poor performance because they are not doing anything badly, or wrong, but they no longer go above and beyond like they once use to.
I call these people thieves. They are stealing a salary from someone who really wants to work for the company and wants to go above and beyond to show their leader they value and worth.
The question must be, “Why the change in this person’s effort?”
Typically speaking the reason is very clear cut – there has been a change in behaviour as a result of a change in mindset.
They are now at a point where they no longer feel valued and appreciated by the company or their boss so they step back and follow the pack.
They ask themselves, “Why go over and above and put in so much effort only to be ignored, or to have my ideas stolen and my boss or someone else getting the recognition?”
This is where emotional intelligence kicks in for a leader that has sensory acuity – the ability to be aware of everything around them.
When a leader sees a change in behaviour they step up and engage with the person to understand the underlying issue and help them work through it so it does not impact their mindset and behaviours.
Rather than looking for ways to exit this employee, a great leader will spend quality time with them, coaching them, guiding them, and supporting them so they feel appreciate and valued and contribute to the best of their ability once again.
The role of a great leader is to inspire excellence at all levels, not look for ways of terminating their people – their work family.