Quiet Quitting and the Epic Battle Between Boundaries and Expectations at Work
Have you quit your job recently?
According to recent studies, you may have without even realizing it.
In fact, over the half the US workforce has—"quietly."
When I first heard the term "Quiet Quitting," I must have missed the memo.
Honestly, I had to look up what it even was.
Many thanks, Google. You’re the best.
For anyone who hasn't seen this trend yet, "Quiet Quitting" refers to:
Staff who have stopped going above and beyond their job descriptions—now doing only the minimum required
Staff who are disengaged from their work and going through the motions
Going one step further:
"Loud Quitting" is the next level where staff are actively disengaged and disassociated from their work.
And "Quitting" is still, well, quitting.
What does this all mean?
"Quiet Quitting" is an inherently negative term. But I think it speaks to something very profound and human. It means that the Pandemic was the catalyst (or maybe jet fuel) to change how people interface with work.
As we recognized that there were other ways to operate in their jobs, we explored them. We sought work-life balance. We sought freedom.
"Quiet Quitting" is both the result of burnout and a societal solution to it. We're all becoming more aware and accepting of our relationship to work and our mental health needs.
All this is to say that we need to be on the look out for ways to help each other feel more engaged and appreciated at work.
The answer isn't to push people harder to get "back to normal," it's instead to ask they question, "What can we do for those around us to help them be at their best?"
4 Ways to Help Your Relationship with Work
It will take time for the conversation around mental health and work expectations to unfold. In the meantime, here are four things you can work on today to improve your job boundaries.
Be vocal about your needs — While it’s true that an employer should treat their staff fairly, they don’t always know exactly what you’re looking for in your position and larger career. Sometimes we have to be that squeaky wheel and make some noise to let them know. Give your boss the benefit of the doubt to start. Managers are often busy, not necessarily unreceptive. Help them understand what you want.
Set time for what brings you joy at work — A job is a job. There will be things at any job that you’ll inevitably not like to do, but have to do anyway. Not everything needs to be a 10 out of 10 on the fun scale. But to make sure you get to the tasks you always look forward to, schedule and block out time do them. Maybe it takes 10 emails and 2 hours of meetings to get there, but make time to do the fun stuff.
Be selfish in the long term — It’s rare to see someone start their first job anywhere and watch them stay through retirement at that same place. People jump around. It’s common and it’s okay. You may even change careers entirely a few times. Still okay. You do what’s best for you in the long term. That change will help the work stay fresh and you’ll be more likely to stay engaged with it.
Be consistent with the patterns you set for those around you — One of the pushbacks to employees in the Quiet Quitting movement is that only doing the basic job description, 40 hours a week, and the “bare minimum” isn’t enough. In this race of expectations, good managers empower their employees and poor ones bring them down. Hold your ground on what matters to you and make sure to show up that way every time. People around you will begin to learn your patterns and can react accordingly. The more often they can see the pattern, the less likely it will be a problem for them.
Recent Finds
Rich Roll — Prioritize Experience Over Career (Short) | An inspiring insight from Rich Roll about becoming a well-rounded human. When we set too many expectations for ourselves early in life, it becomes more difficult to experiment because we don’t want to fail. In reality, that experimentation and failure helps us grow even more robustly as people.
Ryan Holiday — Interview with Steven Pressfield (Video) | A fascinating discussion between two of my favorite authors, Ryan Holiday (The Obstacle is the Way) and Steven Pressfield (The War of Art, The Legend of Bagger Vance). They dive deep into their creative processes, discipline, and consistency in this masterclass conversation that will inspire your own.
Career Contessa — 8 Ways to Establish Healthy Boundaries at Work (Blog) | A helpful article about an important topic—work boundaries. I hear horror stories all the time about people working 50+, 60, 80 hour weeks at their jobs. While there may be circumstances where such efforts are necessary, a post like this may help you establish better walls between you and the job so you can live a better-balanced life.
Quote of the Week
"True hell is when you meet the person you could have been.”
— Anonymous
That's all for now.
Stay creative, my friends—and have a great week!
