New quitting a job trend.
You’ve probably seen this phrase in the press or on social media in the past few weeks: “The Quiet Quit”, or the parallel trend in China - "Lying Flat” or Tang Ping (躺平). If you haven’t, you might assume that quiet quitting is a form of workplace ghosting, as in you quit, but on the downlow. Rather than giving appropriate notice, you use your vacation days, then accrued sick days and then . . . don’t show up.
That’s not quite it. Quiet quitting, according to TikToker zkchillin, whose short video on the idea has generated over three million views and half a million likes, means going to work, but not giving it your all.
As the video puts it in–in a low key, mellow, slightly-resigned tone: “You’re not outright quitting your job, but you’re quitting the idea of going above and beyond. You’re still performing your duties, but you’re no longer subscribing to the hustle culture mentality that work has to be your life – the reality is, it’s not.”
Put like that, quiet quitting could be seen as a positive trend. As an article in Metro (UK) noted , “It might be saying no to projects that aren’t part of your job description or you don’t fancy doing, leaving work on time, or refusing to answer emails and Slack messages outside of your working hours.”
These are useful ideas for many millennials, who, as Business Insider recently reported, are “encouraging the upcoming generation of employees to avoid overextending themselves at work.”
That all sounds reasonable, even healthy. After all, the pandemic made it impossible for many people to ever leave work behind. Not doing other people’s work, enjoying your weekends without being tethered to tech, and knowing your limits are all positive actions that can help prevent burnout and promote wellness. Making time for your whole life is part of creating and maintaining a good relationship with your career, long-term.
On the other hand, what kind of life do you have if you’re “mailing it in” at work, month after month? How good will you feel if you’re doing the minimum without passion or excitement at your job, a place where you still spend most of your waking hours, even if you leave at 5? Why settle for spending close to 75-percent of your waking hours doing something you don’t enjoy or that you find meaningless? Staying put and just doing less will likely lead to increasing frustration, not joy. Chasing this trend may look like a way of valuing your life, but it will probably wind up feeling more like giving up on the belief that something better is out there for you.
Still, it’s reasonable to consider what’s behind the trend and capitalise on that. Here’s how to use the quiet quitting moment to improve your career and your life:
1.Notice If You Need to Reset Good Boundaries
A lot of people are feeling burned out right now for very good reasons. You might be among them. If you actually like your job, just not how much time and energy you’re spending on it, this is a good time to recalibrate the balance by setting some boundaries.
Start by setting clear limits around when you will respond to electronic messaging, phone calls, and emails. Some countries, such as Germany, are legislating this for employees. Don’t wait for your country to follow suit. When parts of your job must be done outside of normal office hours, allocate time in the day for your personal life in return. For example, if you have a late night meeting, take time to exercise or handle other personal tasks between 9 and 5.
Boundaries prevent burnout and ensure that you can spend time on other things you enjoy, whether that be knitting, hanging out with your kids, playing competitive soccer, or something else entirely. Making time for your own passions also creates energy and stamina, both of which you need for a long, rewarding career.
2.Consider Your Goals
Before quiet quitting, take some time to consider whether you should actually do the opposite, as in, extra engage. If your goal is to climb the corporate ladder, it may be in your best interest to stay late, put in extra effort, and/or take on additional projects, even if everyone else is at home, checking TikTok. The same is true if you’re at a start-up that you want to see succeed and envision yourself as part of the team that makes that happen. You might want to work long hours because you love what you do and feel challenged by it, or are a lifelong learner and relish any opportunity to gain new knowledge, skills and insights.
Alternately, if you feel frustrated, it may be because you don’t really desire a quiet quit, but rather more help at work getting more of what you want—such as new opportunities, new challenges, or a promotion. While the ability to work remotely has been great for many, it has also damaged some aspects of work, such as mentoring, training and apprenticeship opportunities that younger people really need. Many in that cohort feel they are missing out on camaraderie, too, as an article in Axios recently noted.
Discuss what opportunities exist for this kind of support with your manager. Don’t wait for your boss to bring it up. If there are specific areas you want to learn about, consider job crafting—doing what you can to make the job you have look more like the job you want. Job crafting might mean finding ways to delve into marketing, even if you’re in R&D, or doing business development from your position in communications. Rather than quitting, job crafting enables you to expand your capabilities where you are. While encouraging employees to job craft is a great management skill, again, it’s on you to bring it up and ask for help.
3.Have Fun When You are at Work
Whatever amount of time you’re spending at work should be as pleasant and interesting as possible. Having fun with co-workers generates energy and enthusiasm for the tasks at hand. Nurturing connections with colleagues and clients makes it easier to get things done, and helps you feel more invested in the process and outcome. Work will never be donuts and pingpong every day; it’s work, after all. But you can make it more enjoyable and it’s absolutely worth doing so.
Start by seeking out people you like, or even one person you might like, and try to develop a real friendship. Suggest an afterwork walk, or drink, something that may be possible even if the entire team is spending the day working at home. Look at your interactions as connections, or as one tech comms executive put it, “I don’t take a meeting; I make a friend.”
4.If You’re Miserable at Work, Make Plans to Really Quit
If the idea of quiet quitting—or better yet, slamming your computer shut and loudly walking off the job—sounds a little too appealing, that may be a sign that it’s time to move on. If your job is soul-destroying, look around. The job market still abounds with opportunities. But make sure to go toward something that you want, rather than just fleeing a situation you don’t like. It’s worth making the effort to find— or create— a job you like, with colleagues you enjoy, that leaves plenty of time and energy to live your full life.
Overall, quiet quitting may be either a misnomer or an unhealthy idea for the long term. If it means compartmentalising and adjusting your work and shifting your mindset about your career, this is not really quitting, but it can be a great approach to help you thrive! On the other hand, if it means, disengaging completely and just coasting, you may find this approach saps, rather than builds, energy and may ultimately be even more frustrating than throwing yourself into your job. Make sure you ask yourself the hard questions about what you really want before you quiet quit.
