Quiet Quitting, the cause and how should we act towards it.
So, what is quiet quitting? According to Gregg Daughtery, Quiet Quitting is a term describing the act of doing the minimum requirements of one’s job and putting it on no more time, effort, or enthusiasm than necessary. As so, the person who does this does not quit their position but does all the minimum while still collecting the salary.
This term has been quite a popular concept recently in 2022. Circulating in social media, this concept got a lot of attention from younger workers in a metropolitan areas such as Indonesia. In a September 2022 Harvard Business Review article aimed at explaining the quiet quitting phenomenon to worried executives, professors Anthony C. Klotz and Mark C. Bolino observed, “Quiet quitters continue to fulfill their primary responsibilities, but they’re less willing to engage in activities known as citizenship behavior’s: no more staying late, showing up early, or attending non-mandatory meetings.”
So, how does that sound? As it is getting a lot of attention from young workers but worries the executives. Well, let us break it down a little as to why Quiet Quitting is happening.
Change of working Culture: does COVID-19 changed the way we work today? Absolutely. As COVID-19 caught us guarded & unguarded in early 2020 (until now), it is safe to say that the mentioned virus changed the way we work as we need to stay at home but still be productive. Hence, Working from Home was introduced to us as an alternative way for us to stay productive in our public job. But as the virus is descending and we are adapting to it, the working culture altered already. So many people are comfortable enough and productive enough to do their job in their safe, warm, homes. So that is the first change. The second change that sparks the feeling of younger workers is the overwhelming feeling of hustling. CNNIndonesia.com held an online mini survey with a participation rate of 321 votes, 77,3% of voters voted they have been in a burnout condition for the past year.
So, there you have it, a very logical reason why Quiet Quitting is a concept that can click quickly enough with young workers in big cities. Restlessness, burnout, and shifting culture are three of many things. But the result is clear.
So, how do we have to act as a worker ourselves? Well, let us be real, being overloaded does not feel great. Let us acknowledge that first. When there are more than 70% of young workers voted that they have felt burnout in their career years, that.. is not a good result. Let us acknowledge that work indeed can stress you out. but as a friend and a worker myself, I can tell you this much. do what you love. Cliché I know, but when you do what you love, 1 burden carries out. Imagine you must do something you hate, and you got stressed from it. Ugh. Let us not.
Second, as a person, you are always. hear me. always have your “why.” Your why strengthen your purpose in your career. Start asking yourself “why do I do this?,” “what is the impact for me?,” and “what is there to the people if I do this?” If you have you why answered clearly, even your most stressful days will feel more meaningful.
Take a professional swimmer for an example: you know how athletes are. Restless, ambitious, determined, and have so much grit in them. They practice day and night just to get into a championship or even local tournaments. All of it is stressful, yes. But when they got the prize, they aim to achieve, my oh my, sweat never tastes that sweet.
As a young worker myself, I felt and related to those people who quite quit. I do. They do not get paid enough, they hated their job, and they are just empathetical. but I do relate to them. But hey, do we want to just do it? Why do we have to put our minimum when what we do does so much for us? When it levers us? Lever our career? Come on.
Quiet quitting may seem like a good option for many people, but for me, and I believe you too who read this article, being someone who put a whole heart into what they do as they have a bigger impact on themselves and on other people, will taste very sweet in the end. It is not giving energy like “If you have me, I will hate you”, it is about changing your surroundings starting with you.
And I think, that is the perk of giving the best of what you have got instead of doing quiet quitting. When you give a lot, a lot will be given to you.
