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Hi everyone! Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Leader Show with Lou Carter. Joining us today is Dr. Candace Steele Flippin, who shares her insights on the prevalence of “quiet quitting”, a phenomenon occuring in many organizations today.
So, without any further delay, let’s get to the meat of the matter.
Lou begins by asking Dr. Candace the meaning of quiet quitting as she understands it. She explains that quiet quitting occurs when employees in an organization do only what is expected of them and don’t go beyond to expend any “discretionary effort” because of a lack of connection with the company.
Noting that such employees often fail to grow and move further up in a company, Dr. Candace strongly believes that employees who are highly engaged and feel connected to their work and purpose are more likely to perform well and go above and beyond what is expected. According to her, quiet quitting can lead to broader disengagement and ultimately increase employee turnover, which is an expensive value proposition for companies.
During the interview, Lou describes three types of employees:
The first group are those who feel they have to continue in their job for financial reasons, while the second group feels they have to maintain their norm or something bad may happen. The third group, which Dr. Candace highlights, is effective employees who love their work and want to do more.
In her book Get Your Career In Shape, Dr. Steele Flippin offers three questions for employees to consider: Do you have the career you need, the career you want, and the career you deserve? Employees who feel they don’t have what they need or are not doing what they want may engage in quiet quitting. Similarly, employees who feel they haven’t received what they deserve may become disengaged and stop putting in discretionary effort. To prevent quiet quitting, Dr. Steele Flippin suggests helping employees connect their values to those of the organization and ensuring fairness in rewards and recognition.
Lou Carter asks Dr. Candace Steele Flippin about whether it’s okay for employees to step back and relax if they are quietly quitting. In her response, she notes that while productivity increased during the pandemic, many workers experienced burnout in the year that followed from working long hours and not taking vacations. She suggests that employees have conversations with their supervizors to align expectations and discuss what the new normal looks like. Its evident that expectations have shifted, and it’s essential to renormalize new cultural norms through honest conversations between employees and their managers.
Lou highlights that it can be challenging for employees to have alignment conversations with their bosses without fear of retribution, and this may be a factor in quiet quitting. Dr. Steele Flippin agrees and explains that if an employee is consciously deciding not to meet performance expectations, it’s important to have a conversation with their employer to prevent conflict. She emphasizes the need for employers to create an environment where employees can have courageous conversations and for employees to be brave and bold in expressing their needs and wants. Both agree that having conversations to back up behavior is crucial for productive and satisfying work environments.
The conversation then turns to how different generations approach communication. Dr Candice conducted a study of 1500 individuals to understand which of the 12 different ways of interpersonal communication resonated with each generation. Her findings showed that baby boomers value active listening, Gen X gravitates towards collaboration, while millennials and Gen Z resonate towards empathy. The shift towards empathy has already started to take place, with conversations around work-life balance and certain types of benefits that support this. Companies with programs that focus on empathy and dialogue are becoming more popular, with a concerted effort from the top leadership to engage in open talks and provide opportunities for everyone to take part in business strategy or developing new products.
Organizations today are becoming more open to allowing their employees to bring their whole selves to work, which is reflected in programs and practices that recognize various identities and include everyone in the process. Making more room at the table doesn’t mean pushing anyone away, but building a bigger table so everyone can come together and enjoy what’s on that table. Lou interjects that there are risks to not being inclusive, including legal and compliance issues, not attending to customer needs, and not showing up well in the media.
The conversation also touches on the importance of building a strong corporate culture to ensure highly engaged workers and prevent the phenomenon of quiet quitting. Dr. Candace’s book, “Get Your Career in Shape” is a great resource for leaders and employees alike. In her book she suggests that employees who feel supported, connected to their purpose, and able to bring their whole selves to work are less likely to quietly quit. It’s important to ask themselves if they have the career role they need, want, and deserve and focus on getting their career in shape.
For employers, it’s important to listen to employees and have programs in place to strengthen their career development. It’s also important to have a dialogue about expectations and provide paths for growth. For employees, For candidates, it’s important to research the organization’s culture and programs that align with their passion, purpose, and skillset to feel engaged and connected.
Lou Carter and Dr. Candace Steele Flippin go into great detail on this episode of The Leader Show.
Thank you for listening,
