Blogs and Articles from Third Way Forum Membrs
Sep 22, 2022
Discussion#3 The issue of disengagement: How to deal with the 'Quiet Quitting' phenomenon.
Blogs from The Third Way Working Group
- There are two types of Quiet Quitters. One type is “Quiet Quitters by Nature” who just don’t want to work so much. This type is difficult to be changed or engaged. If they also have performance issues and/or spreading any toxic environment, the company should take an action to handle them.
- Another type of Quiet Quitters is more common and it is “Situational Quiet Quitters” who have become Quiet Quitters due to some disappointing situation but are willing to be engaged again if the situation is improved. We should focus on this type of Quiet Quitters in order to stop the spreading disengagement trend in the world.
- Disappointing situations that often lead people to Quiet Quitting are usually triggered by two things, namely, the lack of trust and the lack of vision.
- The lack of trust is often caused by the lack of discussions which gradually increase more misunderstandings and frustrations. Then people no longer feel safe, supported, encouraged or connected with any more. If you feel not cared about at work, you would not feel like caring about work either. So you become a Quiet Quitter. This type of Quiet Quitting that is caused by trust issues often leads to “Quiet Firing”.
- The lack of vision, especially from the top management , deprives people of hope for a better future. People want to see realistic potentials regarding their future salary increase, further promotions and better working conditions etc. But due to the long stagnant economy in Japan and the uncertain world economy these days, most people are worried and frustrated about the future prospects. Unless the management can articulate a clear vision to navigate the current bumpy ride and come out successfully, you can not be hopeful for your future career and you would see no point in working more than minimum and going extra miles at work. So you become a Quiet Quitter. This type of Quiet Quitting that is caused by the lack of vision from the top often paves a “Quiet Road to Bankruptcy”.
- In order to solve the issue of Quiet Quitting, both the management side and the individual employee side have to make some serious effort. The key word here is to “Acknowledge”.
- The management has to “acknowledge” that many traditional/conventional company frameworks are obsolete and do not support, motivate and engage people any more. Especially employees in the post-Covid remote working era. For instance, you can not expect people to work 10-12 hours for the company every day. If your business and operating models are still based on 10-12 working hours of your employees, many of your employees will quit or Quiet Quit for sure. Also, the vacation practice, promotion and compensation systems in Japan are all very de-motivating and just discouraging young people to do anything but absolute minimum. The management has to “acknowledge” that and start changing some old frameworks wherever they can.
- Also, individual employees have to “acknowledge” that they can not expect better, ask for more and feel more entitled just by staying quietly within the same old company frameworks. They also need to “acknowledge” that they should propose better frameworks to replace the old ones and give more innovative ideas to deliver more value to the company business. They have to “acknowledge” that they are on the same ship as their management team and when the ship sinks they also sink together. If they don’t want that, they should do something about the ship instead of just sitting quietly.
- One of the practical ways to wake up Quiet Quitters would be to put a spotlight on them and let them sing a main melody. You could hide and pretend singing in a choir group. But if you are to sing a solo under a spotlight, you will have to sing and your performance will be noticed by everybody.
- There are four scenarios in companies. 1. The Mgmt and Employees both engaged 2. Only the Mgmt engaged and Employees not engaged 3. Employees engaged but the Mgmt not engaged. 4. The Mgmt and Employees both not engaged.
- Often in Japan, senior managers are old and they are pretty much disengaged and they themselves are Quiet Quitters. If you are a middle manager and sandwiched by senior managers who are Quiet Quitters and your employees who are also Quiet Quitters, what are you going to do? What would be the actions you can take? Are you going to join them by becoming a Quiet Quitter yourself?
- Another type of Quiet Quitters is more common and it is “Situational Quiet Quitters” who have become Quiet Quitters due to some disappointing situation but are willing to be engaged again if the situation is improved. We should focus on this type of Quiet Quitters in order to stop the spreading disengagement trend in the world.
- Disappointing situations that often lead people to Quiet Quitting are usually triggered by two things, namely, the lack of trust and the lack of vision.
- The lack of trust is often caused by the lack of discussions which gradually increase more misunderstandings and frustrations. Then people no longer feel safe, supported, encouraged or connected with any more. If you feel not cared about at work, you would not feel like caring about work either. So you become a Quiet Quitter. This type of Quiet Quitting that is caused by trust issues often leads to “Quiet Firing”.
- The lack of vision, especially from the top management , deprives people of hope for a better future. People want to see realistic potentials regarding their future salary increase, further promotions and better working conditions etc. But due to the long stagnant economy in Japan and the uncertain world economy these days, most people are worried and frustrated about the future prospects. Unless the management can articulate a clear vision to navigate the current bumpy ride and come out successfully, you can not be hopeful for your future career and you would see no point in working more than minimum and going extra miles at work. So you become a Quiet Quitter. This type of Quiet Quitting that is caused by the lack of vision from the top often paves a “Quiet Road to Bankruptcy”.
- In order to solve the issue of Quiet Quitting, both the management side and the individual employee side have to make some serious effort. The key word here is to “Acknowledge”.
- The management has to “acknowledge” that many traditional/conventional company frameworks are obsolete and do not support, motivate and engage people any more. Especially employees in the post-Covid remote working era. For instance, you can not expect people to work 10-12 hours for the company every day. If your business and operating models are still based on 10-12 working hours of your employees, many of your employees will quit or Quiet Quit for sure. Also, the vacation practice, promotion and compensation systems in Japan are all very de-motivating and just discouraging young people to do anything but absolute minimum. The management has to “acknowledge” that and start changing some old frameworks wherever they can.
- Also, individual employees have to “acknowledge” that they can not expect better, ask for more and feel more entitled just by staying quietly within the same old company frameworks. They also need to “acknowledge” that they should propose better frameworks to replace the old ones and give more innovative ideas to deliver more value to the company business. They have to “acknowledge” that they are on the same ship as their management team and when the ship sinks they also sink together. If they don’t want that, they should do something about the ship instead of just sitting quietly.
- One of the practical ways to wake up Quiet Quitters would be to put a spotlight on them and let them sing a main melody. You could hide and pretend singing in a choir group. But if you are to sing a solo under a spotlight, you will have to sing and your performance will be noticed by everybody.
- There are four scenarios in companies. 1. The Mgmt and Employees both engaged 2. Only the Mgmt engaged and Employees not engaged 3. Employees engaged but the Mgmt not engaged. 4. The Mgmt and Employees both not engaged.
- Often in Japan, senior managers are old and they are pretty much disengaged and they themselves are Quiet Quitters. If you are a middle manager and sandwiched by senior managers who are Quiet Quitters and your employees who are also Quiet Quitters, what are you going to do? What would be the actions you can take? Are you going to join them by becoming a Quiet Quitter yourself?
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