Bernie Borges [00:00:00]:
I have a question for you. When you walk into work, how do you show up? Do you tackle your work with enthusiasm and give it your best, or do you feel detached, like you’re operating on autopilot? Do you kill the morning with brainless work and glance at your to do list by maybe about noon? Do you do the minimum work that’s required of you? If. If autopilot has become your norm? That has a cost. And that cost can show up in your energy, your attitude, and sometimes even in your health and even in your relationships. Hey, I’m Bernie Borges, your host of the Life Fulfilled podcast and this episode is part one of a three part series where I am focusing on quiet quitting. Quiet quitting is a big topic. Whatever you may already know about quiet quitting, hold onto it because I’m going to add to it. And if you’ve never heard about quiet quitting before, buckle your seatbelt because I am going to take you on a bumpy ride, especially if you’re a leader with direct reports.
Bernie Borges [00:01:14]:
Now, the scenario that I just described a moment ago is what is commonly referred to as quiet quitt quitting. Quiet quitting is emotional withdrawal. It’s not outright rebellion on the job and it’s not laziness. It’s when your soul says, I can’t keep pretending this work matters. Or at least it doesn’t feel like it matters anymore. And why you feel that way, well, it may be for many reasons. Maybe your employers laid off 20% of the workforce and and you’ve seen talented colleagues and even good friends discarded like used furniture and you’re wondering when it’s your turn. Or maybe you’ve seen wages and perks cut while the workload just keeps piling up.
Bernie Borges [00:02:04]:
And the big bosses, they get their bonuses, they drive expensive cars and take expensive trips. Or maybe you’ve been passed up for promotion after promotion and and you’re doing the same job for many years and it just doesn’t light you up anymore. Now you might be thinking, hey, isn’t this the Life Fulfilled podcast? And you’re wondering what quiet quitting has to do with life fulfillment? Well, if you were with me on episode 240, when I renamed the podcast to Life Fulfilled, I mentioned that I would be covering more business and work related topics because we spend two thirds of our awake time at work. So there is absolutely a big connection between quiet quitting and fulfillment. And remember, I’m the founder of the Fulfilled at Work Academy, so topics like this run through my veins. So let me Connect the dots for you even further. Just how does quiet quitting and fulfillment connect? Well, I’ve said many times that fulfillment is a deep emotion and that it’s driven by achievement and or purpose. And usually fulfillment is immutable meaning nothing can take it away when you feel it.
Bernie Borges [00:03:29]:
Now, in the context of work, fulfillment means that your work has meaning or purpose, that your work aligns with who you are with your values, that your energy feels invested, not drained. Now, look, I’m not a mind reader, but I’ve heard it said many times that work is just a paycheck. And let me be clear. I mean no disrespect if your attitude is that work is just a paycheck. If your work has no meaning or purpose other than a paycheck, I am not judging you. However, it doesn’t mean that you can’t experience fulfillment at work or that you shouldn’t strive to. You see, if you don’t feel respected at work or valued or cared for, well, then you’re probably not going to do much more than the bare minimum work to keep your job and collect your paycheck. I get it.
Bernie Borges [00:04:28]:
You see, quiet quitting happens when fulfillment breaks down to little or none at all, while you can do the work just for the paycheck. When there’s little or no fulfillment, you feel something inside that’s depleting your gas tank, and at some point you run out of gas. And when that happens, bad things can happen, including to your health and in your relationships. So let’s look at some data about quiet quitting. Quiet quitting is a real and immeasurable phenomenon, and its global scale is very alarming. According to Gallup, who is the largest source for this kind of data, many quiet quitters align with their definition of being not engaged at work, doing the minimum, and emotionally detached. And in the US at least half the workforce, half the workforce likely falls into this category. In 2023, Gallup reported that 59% of workers globally were quiet quitters, putting in minimal discretionary effort and psychologically disconnected.
Bernie Borges [00:05:48]:
The cost of low engagement in the workplace is enormous. Gallup estimates that disengaged employees cost the global economy a staggering 8.8 trillion, with a T in lost productivity. That’s about 9% of global GDP. And the global employee engagement rate dropped 2 percentage points in 2024 from 23% to 21%, resulting in approximately $438 billion in additional lost productivity. Now, there’s a little bit of good news. The good news is that at an Organizational level teams with high engagement see 78% less absenteeism and 14% higher productivity, plus significantly higher lower turnover. So, as you can see, these are real numbers. And it leads me to the following rant.
Bernie Borges [00:06:52]:
So I’m going to warn you, the next part here is going to be a bit of a rant. You see, I am surprised by how many leaders are either not aware of the extent of quiet quitting in their own teams, as if the statistics that I just shared with you are somewhere else, but not in their teams, or they’re aware of disengagement in their teams, and they simply don’t address the problem. Frankly, this shocks me. If you’re a leader, ask yourself, how engaged is my workforce? Unless you’re the business owner, start by asking yourself this question. How engaged am I? You see, in the US 73% of frontline managers are disengaged. Frontline managers are employed by a business, and they have a team of direct reports, and 73% of them are disengaged. So it’s no wonder that their teams are disengaged. Now, if you own the business, you’re engaged because you have to be.
Bernie Borges [00:07:57]:
It’s your business. But are your employees engaged? The answer to this question directly correlates to how your business is performing. And if your business is performing well in spite of having disengaged employees, if that’s the case, well, then not only are you the exception, you’re also very lucky. And that luck may run out because disengaged employees only care about the health of your business to the extent that it’s going to provide them with a paycheck. No more than that. Okay, rant over. So in. In this first of the three episodes that I’m doing on quiet quitting, I wanted to paint the picture for you of just how serious this is.
Bernie Borges [00:08:45]:
Whether you’re an employee or a leader or a business owner, chances are, just based on the statistics that I just shared with you, that quiet quitting is around you, above you, below you, or maybe even in you. And look, awareness is only step one. We’ve got to go further. So let me give you a couple of actions that you can take today, right now, to move from awareness to progress. If you’re an employee and you’re listening to this thinking. All right, Bernie, I hear you, But I don’t know what to do with this. So here’s what I suggest. Start by taking a moment to reflect on these three questions.
Bernie Borges [00:09:34]:
What part of my job do I currently enjoy? Even if it’s small. Where do I feel most disconnected or frustrated? And when was the last time that I felt enthusiastic about my work and what was I doing? Write down your answers. Don’t overthink it. Just get it out from your head onto paper or a digital notepad. This exercise alone can help you identify where fulfillment is leaking and more importantly, where you can start plugging those leaks. And then ask yourself this. What’s one small thing that I can do that this week to create a shift? It might be volunteering for something at work that just sounds interesting. It might be scheduling a 15 minute chat with your manager to talk about what growth could look like.
Bernie Borges [00:10:30]:
Or it might be something as simple as acknowledging a colleague who helps make your day a little bit easier. These are small actions, but they send a message to yourself, to and to others that you haven’t completely checked out. Now, if you’re self employed, maybe you’re a freelancer or a consultant and you’re feeling that same quiet withdrawal. Here’s something for you to consider. Just because you don’t have a boss, other than your clients, of course, or direct reports other than maybe other freelancers who might support your work, it doesn’t mean that you’re immune to quiet quitting. It just looks different. Maybe you’re taking on work that you no longer enjoy, or saying yes to every client just to keep the revenue going. If fulfillment is leaking, it’s time to reconnect with your why revisit the kind of work and clients that energize you? Ask yourself what kind of projects you’d pursue if you weren’t chasing the next invoice.
Bernie Borges [00:11:37]:
Write that down. Revisit it often. This exercise can give you the power to design your work so that you’re not quietly quitting on the very thing that you created. Now, if you’re a leader and you’re wondering, how do I know if my team is quietly quitting? The answer is simple. You ask them. Pick one person today and ask them, how are you doing? Really, how are you doing? And then listen without an agenda. That simple act can uncover a lot, but you have to create space for honest conversation. You have to show your people that it’s safe to tell the truth and that you want to hear it, and that you care enough to do something about it.
Bernie Borges [00:12:27]:
Leaders, your actions or your absence can send a message. Be intentional with that message. Now in the next episode, part two of this three part series, I’ll break down further why fulfillment at work is not only good for employees, but also good for the business. And I’ll go deeper into what fulfillment really looks like and offer ways for both individuals and leaders to reset the culture, starting with themselves. In the meantime, here’s my shameless plug for a tool that I offer. Now, it’s a free tool, so it’s not that much of a shameless plug. I call it the Fulfilled at Work Scorecard. I used to call it the Assessment.
Bernie Borges [00:13:09]:
I changed it to Scorecard because it gives you the opportunity to score your individual fulfillment at work across five dimensions. And as I mentioned, it’s free and and it’s available on my website@fulfilledatworkacademy.com and of course, you’ll also find the link to it in the show notes for this episode. Now, this scorecard is for individual consumption. If you’re a leader, get in touch with me to arrange team licensing. Now that’s a shameless plug because that costs a little money. Look, I believe that every case of quiet quitting connects back to fulfillment, and that means that we can do something about it. This three episode series isn’t just about naming the problem. It’s about reclaiming energy, purpose and potential at work.
Bernie Borges [00:13:58]:
So stick with me. This is just the beginning. Join me for the next episode and I’ll unpack how quiet quitting impacts fulfillment at work and offer some ways to turn lemons into lemonades. I’m your host, Bernie Borges, founder of Fulfilled at Work Academy and creator of the Fulfillment Centric Leadership Method. Be sure to subscribe so that you don’t miss future episodes. I’ll see you on the next episode of the Life Fulfilled podcast.
