2022 was a long year, and as the calendar year ended, leaders and employees tended to lose energy. The goal is to start strong and finish stronger, and it’s those teams that elevate their effort at the end of the race that tend to win. Great leaders can motivate their teams to give their absolute best in crunch time to elevate individual employees and entire organizations. And in those moments, we are all accountable for how we finish.
We’re all judged on how we perform from year-to-year – whether it be the calendar year or fiscal year. And over time, behavior patterns emerge that tell us a great deal about who we are –individuals and organizations. People that stop short or slow down before crossing the finish line impact everyone and everything around them. Such is the case with “Quiet Quitting”. And many times, the organization’s response to individuals that quit quietly is “Quiet Firing”.
“Quiet Firing” is when leadership slowly removes the duties from an employee instead of firing him or her. It can include reducing hours, assigning unwanted assignments, isolation, unfair evaluations, no raise or promotion, etc. “Quiet Firing” and “Quiet Quitting” are a disservice to everyone in the organization. Both create a vicious cycle that develops a repetitive passive-aggressive unproductive loop.
Colossians 3:23 says that “we should work as though we are working for the Lord.” Philippians 3:14 urges us to “…press toward the mark.” We must apply these verses to our daily lives to avoid the urge to participate in either quiet quitting or firing and to finish strong. We should all strive to be better Christians and leaders by becoming better than we were the day before and setting a positive example for those around us.
In Jacob Mathison’s article, Quiet Firing: When Leaders Do the Bare Minimum, he provides engagement methods leaders can use to address this problem.
- Re-energize employees on work and commitment to their careers.
- Actively identify and communicate roadblocks.
- Be patient.
- Acknowledge positive changes.
- Recognize that integrity and loyalty bring about success.
- Celebrate Victories!
As leaders, individuals, and organizations, we should continuously ask these three questions:
- Where are we now?
- Where do we believe God wants us to be?
- What do we need to do to get there?
As Paul said in Philippians 3:11-16, “I have not arrived… None of us have gotten where we need to, so we must keep trying and improving. Neglect the negative. Move forward. Love and encourage each other to commit to what needs to be accomplished. This brings about satisfaction and productivity.”
As leaders, we must cultivate an environment that promotes self-examination, self-improvement, and strategic purpose because we are all accountable. Doing so benefits our people and our business.
FaithSearch consultants bring more than 130 years of cumulative experience in faith-based executive search. If you’re looking for leaders who can make a difference for the kingdom throughout your organization – people who will have a positive impact on your people and community – reach out to us. FaithSearch excels in securing leaders for nonprofit, higher education, ministries, and faith-driven organizations.
Contact the FaithSearch team today for more information.
Photo by Mikhail Nilov
