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The Newsletter | Edition 079
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In our Off-White Papers, we provide practical guidance on how to respond to our rapidly-changing world. This newsletter explores those topics in real-time, with information and action steps on how to make progress now.
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IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...SOFT LIVINGBehind the provocativeness of “quiet quitting” is the broader idea that hustle culture is no longer working for many of us. Instead, there’s a growing contingent of people seeking a “soft life” that’s low stress and based on each individual’s definition of joy. What can employers and managers do to support those who embrace this movement? And what does this mean for the broader cultural and brand landscape?
- Finding a shared sense of purpose, from Payal Pereira
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Loud breaks > quiet quitting, from Barry Shafrin
- Take a cue from Beyoncé, from Fadé Akinsade
And this week, our illustrations from Ash Casper.
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BRIDGE THE PURPOSE CHASMFrom Payal Pereira
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TL;DRYou can’t meditate yourself out of burnout. There will always be too much to do. The difference between those who view work as a day prison and others who feel a sense of fulfillment at work is a shared purpose with the organization they work at.
WHY IT MATTERSQuiet quitting and soft living are less about an employee’s willingness to work harder and more about creating an environment where they are not counting the minutes until quitting time. Many organizations provide employees access to yoga, vacation time, wellness tech, and mindfulness apps to help avoid burnout. While these tools may help people feel rejuvenated in the short term, they are a bandaid rather than a cure. One long term solution to improve workplace wellbeing is to bridge the gap between employees’ and the organization’s sense of purpose.
Purpose can’t just be another corporate initiative or a poster on the wall. It’s an organization’s soul and identity that needs to be felt by every person that comes in contact with it. According to research, people who feel like they are “living their purpose” report levels of wellbeing five times higher than those who feel like they aren’t and are four times more likely to be highly engaged at work. Everyone’s purpose may be unique, but some parts of it are influenced by the work they do. The closer an organization’s sphere of influence gets to the size of an employee’s own sense of purpose from work, the more fulfilled the employee is.
ONE THING YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW
Take time to learn about your employees’ individual purposes.
THINGS YOU CAN DO:
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Reflect on the organization’s purpose with your employees. Don’t just send out corporate emails, have a dialogue with employees about your shared purpose. Employees are five times more likely to be excited to work at a company that spends time reflecting on the impact it makes in the world.
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Make sure employees at every level of your organization feel like they are living their purpose. It’s common to see a “purpose hierarchy gap” where higher-level executives feel like their purpose is fulfilled at work but other employees don’t. Frontline managers are ten times less likely than management-level colleagues to say that they have opportunities to reflect on their purpose.
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Let purpose be your north star. Patagonia, for example, has an employee handbook titled “Let My People Go Surfing,” which allows for flexible work hours, encourages employees to head outdoors and go biking, hiking, swimming, etc., and offers up to two weeks of full-paid leave to work for the green nonprofit of their choice.
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GIMME A BREAK From Barry Shafrin
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TL;DRWhile 91% of senior business leaders agree that PTO demonstrably renews and recharges workers, half of American workers regularly leave vacation days unused, citing fear of looking replaceable as the number one barrier.
WHY IT MATTERSAmerican workers aren’t resorting to “quiet quitting” due to laziness. They are simply worked out. The U.S. remains the only developed country with no federal PTO requirement (check out this very sad map). And even when workers have PTO, they often fail to use it or fully unplug when they do, which has made workplace stress the fifth leading cause of death in the US. Workers today don’t need company-wide yoga sessions or disingenuous promises of “unlimited PTO” (which has been shown to perversely lead to fewer days taken). They need thoughtful, aggressive PTO policies and work cultures that celebrate and protect their time off.
ONE THING YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW
Consider alternative PTO policies that remove fear and indecision from employees.
THINGS YOU CAN DO:
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Institute org-wide pause days. Remove the PTO decision and planning burden from individual employees by instituting monthly, quarterly, or even weekly pause days, forcing entire teams or organizations to collectively recharge.
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Set clearer PTO expectations. Offer clearer guidance on what “typical” PTO looks like (i.e., “1 week off and 1 long weekends per quarter”) or consider breaking down PTO into smaller suggested allotments (i.e., “5 days per quarter” instead of “20 days per year”)—encouraging employees to avail themselves of their time more regularly, rather than letting it accrue.
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Review leadership behavior. According to HBR, just 14% of managers unplug when they’re on vacation (and a mere 7% of the most senior levels). Take a hard look at the time off expectations modeled by leaders—both in how they handle their own PTO and how they respect the PTO of their teams.
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Explore mandatory PTO. This April, Goldman-Sachs announced that “senior bankers who take fewer than 15 days will not be paid for the remainder.” While this might not be realistic for all companies, how can your organization take a firmer hand to guarantee workers use their allotted time off?
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PEACE AS A PREROGATIVE From Fadé Akinsade
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TL;DRWe’re in the midst of a shift from chasing career and financial success (or as Beyoncé said “grinding till [you] own it”) to now seeking “a new foundation” by reclaiming our time and energy and finding fulfillment in the things that make us feel most alive.
WHY IT MATTERS“I don’t dream of labor"—an increasingly popular response to the question “what is your dream job?” The dangers of linking our self-worth to how hard we work have surfaced in recent years. The end to hustle culture proves there are more efficient ways to be productive, and our wellbeing should never come as a sacrifice to excelling at our jobs.
A global pandemic forced us to take the time to reflect on the things that make our lives worth living. For many, that life requires much needed breaks, healthy boundaries, and prioritizing comfort over all. Today, we’re recognizing that choosing our own peace over giving into the stress of our lives at work should be seen as a priority and not a luxury.
ONE THING YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW
Create a culture that empowers and enables boundary-setting.
THINGS YOU CAN DO:
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Lead by example. Truly practice what you preach. Leadership should exemplify what healthy boundaries look like and what they produce. Be bold and consistent in communicating when they are being overstepped. Perhaps cultivate a habit of sharing the things you learned being away on PTO, the things you’ve been able to do, and why they matter to you.
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Be reassuring. Your employees should not be followed by a cloud of guilt for expressing when they are feeling uninspired or burnt out. Close to a quarter of women in dual-career couples feel judged or worried about the negative effects on their careers for taking advantage of flexible work arrangements. Therefore, it’s key to not just remind them of what’s at their disposal but also encourage them to reflect on how this improves their ability to be better individuals at work.
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Ease up and trust. Ensure your employees that they are trusted to deliver on their goals in the workplace, while working the hours that best fit their lifestyle. In addition, consider evaluating individuals on their deliverables as opposed to hours spent.
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