The catchphrase quiet resignation is misleading, however, leading some people to believe that it means employees are doing the bare minimum at their jobs. That’s decidedly false, said Kathy Caprino, a Connecticut-based career and leadership coach for women and author of “The Most Powerful You: 7 Bravery-Boosting Paths to Career Bliss.” “It’s about stopping them from doing work that people think is beyond what they were hired to do and not getting compensated,” he said. Employees are still excelling at their jobs, but they’re not working overtime to do it, former engineering consultant Paige West told CNN. “While I was at my 9-to-5 job, I was still working my 40-hour week. I was still fulfilling my duties. I was just taking away that feeling of stress that I had,” she said. The drastic shift in the workforce during the pandemic has largely led to the rise in this behavior, said S. Chris Edmonds, founder and CEO of The Purposeful Culture Group, a Colorado-based consulting firm that helps senior leaders to create a positive work culture. Companies have pushed additional responsibilities onto workers because some organizations were unprepared for the pandemic and large layoffs, he said. Many people were also frustrated when managers insisted on certain rules, such as a return to in-person work, which created more burnout and frustration, Edmonds said. Only 24% of Americans believed their managers had their best interests at heart, according to a Gallup poll published in March 2022. Quietly removing certain tasks that you think are beyond your description isn’t a viable solution, but there are other ways to get what you want, Edmonds said.
EVALUATE YOUR PRIORITIES
To set boundaries in your career, you need to know what your boundaries are, said Octavia Goredema, career coach and author of “Prep, Push, Pivot: Essential Career Strategies for Underrepresented Women.” “The fastest way to burn out is if you don’t respect what matters most to you,” he said. For some, that may mean leaving work on time instead of two hours later, Goredema said. Employees should ask themselves which tasks make them feel fulfilled and which don’t matter as much, he said. From there, you can learn what your priorities are and what you need to accomplish in your career, Goredema said.
SHARE YOUR NEEDS
Once you’ve determined where you need to be to be successful and happy in your role, it’s best to talk to your manager to gain some understanding, Edmonds said. Communication is key. You may have one idea of what your job responsibilities are, and your boss may have another, Caprino said. If you stop doing some tasks because you feel they’re outside of your scope, it could look like you’re slacking off if your manager thinks they’re part of your job, he said. “Even running my own team, if I suddenly stopped doing work that everyone assumed I would do, there would be a problem and things would fall apart,” Caprino said. If you plan to receive reasonable compensation for any additional work you’ve taken on, present evidence to your manager about your job performance and what you’ve accomplished so far, she said.
CONTACT YOUR EMPLOYEES
From the manager’s perspective, it’s important to understand your employees and make sure they feel supported in their respective roles, Edmonds said. “The responsibility of employers is to find out what people perceive as fair, then do nothing less than that,” he said. Leaders should focus on engaging in regular conversations and building relationships with their employees, Edmonds said. The conversations could extend beyond work to include some of their personal interests and priorities, because that can often interfere with their work lives, Caprino said. “If you don’t understand the internal state of your employees, things will happen that will blind you,” he said. Managers should consider setting up one-on-one meetings with their workers at least once a quarter, Goredema said. “We need to show that we are committed as leaders, that we are involved and that we are invested,” he said.
