eonetwork

A behavioral scientist shares the data to prove it and offers best practices to minimize quiet quitting and lower productivity concerns amid a hybrid return to office.

Quiet quitting—a term that has become all too familiar for business owners—refers to doing the bare minimal tasks of your job description well enough that you don’t get fired. Introduced in March 2002, it only started to gain traction as an issue of concern among business leaders when US government data on productivity, released in August 2022, showed a sharp, unexpected drop in Q1 and Q2 of 2022.

Is remote work responsible for Quiet Quitting?

Many traditionalist leaders rushed to attribute this drop in productivity and rise in quiet quitting to remote work. For example, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink attributed the drop in productivity to remote work. He called for requiring employees to come to the office to address this problem.

Yet the claims of traditionalists don’t add up. If quiet quitting and the resultant drop in productivity stemmed from remote work, we would see a drop in productivity right from the start of the pandemic, when office workers switched to remote work. Then, when offices opened back up, especially after the Omicron wave at the end of 2021, we would see productivity going up as workers went back to the office from early 2022 onward.

In reality, data shows the opposite trend. US productivity jumped in Q2 2020 as offices closed, and stayed at a heightened level through Q4 2021. Then, when companies started mandating a return to office from early 2022, productivity dropped sharply, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

So what explains the drop in productivity associated with quiet quitting? According to Ben Wigert, director of research and strategy for workplace management at Gallup, forcing employees to come to the office under the threat of discipline could lead to disengagement, fear, and distrust. Gallup finds that “the optimal engagement boost occurs when employees spend 60% to 80% of their time—or three to four days in a five-day workweek—working off-site.” No wonder, then, that mandates forcing employees to come to the office full-time could result in quiet quitting.

How to solve Quiet Quitting in the mandated return to office

When I show this data to my consulting clients, they often ask what they can do to address this problem. First, I remind them of a joke from the famous comedian Henny Youngman: “The patient says, ‘Doctor, it hurts when I do this.’ The doctor says, ‘Then don’t do that!’’’ Then, I share that the best approach for the future of work is a flexible team-led approach, where team leads determine the work arrangements that best serve the needs of their team. Team leads know what their teams need, including how to maximize productivity, engagement and collaboration.

However, it’s not always easy. They might face an inflexible Board of Directors, or the C-suite might be united in demanding that employees return to the office for much or all of the workweek. What then?

In that case, I help them identify best practices for returning to the office that minimize quiet quitting concerns. You might imagine that it’s as simple as increasing their pay. And indeed, a conversation about compensation should always accompany a return-to-office initiative.

What I find works best is to pay for fees associated with specific office-related costs, rather than a general salary increase. In other words, pay the commuting costs of your staff: IRS per diem for miles traveled, public transportation fees, etc. Pay for a nice catered lunch. Pay for their dry-cleaning costs.

Such payments help address the initial discontent and reduce the attrition typically associated with the mandated office return. But they don’t address the quiet quitting that results from people coming to the office and doing the same thing they would do at home, except with a two-hour commute.

That’s the scenario that leads directly to quiet quitting. We know that people are much more productive on individual tasks that require focus at home. A Slack survey confirmed this impression: 55% of respondents preferred to do “deep work” at home, while only 16% cited the office as a better place for deep work.

Make the office a collaboration destination

Instead, make the office a place for socializing, collaboration, and in-depth training, especially for newer employees. To address socializing needs, it’s valuable to organize fun, team-building exercises and social events as staff come back to the office to build relationships.

To facilitate collaboration, it’s critical to consider how in-office staff works together with those working from home. A number of my clients have staff who come in on different days of the week, requiring hybrid collaboration and meetings. To facilitate such collaboration between in-office and remote staff, it’s imperative to improve AV to facilitate hybrid meetings that empower effective collaboration.

There’s no replacement for face-to-face experiences for in-depth training around soft skills, such as effective in-person communication, conflict mediation and resolution, and ethical persuasion. My clients find that if they offer valuable training regularly once their employees return to the office, there’s a reduction in quiet quitting and a boost in employee engagement and productivity.

While a mandated return to office will inevitably lead to some quiet quitting and loss in productivity, smart leaders can ameliorate this problem. Focus on helping employees socialize, collaborate, and get great professional development and mentoring—thus showing them the value of the office—will reduce quiet quitting and boost performance.

Contributed to EO byDr. Gleb Tsipursky, CEO of the boutique future-of-work consultancy Disaster Avoidance Experts, who helps leaders use hybrid work to improve retention and productivity while cutting costs. He wrote the first book on leading hybrid teams after the pandemic, his best-seller Returning to the Office and Leading Hybrid and Remote Teams, as well as seven other books. His cutting-edge thought leadership comes from over 20 years of consulting for Fortune 500 companies from Aflac to Xerox and over 15 years in academia as a behavioral scientist at UNC-Chapel Hill and Ohio State. A proud Ukrainian American, Dr. Gleb lives in Columbus, Ohio.

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog. 

A digital marketing strategy is a nonnegotiable element of a successful company. Billions of people use the internet at any given time during the day. Your business’s success hinges on reaching the right audience at the right time, which is why the value of digital marketing cannot be overstated. However, if your company is new to digital marketing, it can take some time to identify your specific needs.

If you are planning your digital marketing strategy for the year, it’s important to know where to start. You can begin by assessing your digital marketing needs so that you can budget appropriately. Here are four steps to determine what your digital marketing needs are and how much budget you’ll need to meet them:

1. Assess the size of your target audience.

Organizations come in all shapes and sizes, and so do their audiences. Before you can set your digital marketing budget, you need to determine the size of your target audience. The size of your audience will affect your digital marketing budget. For example, if you’re a global brand with millions of customers, you’ll need a larger budget to reach all of those people. On the other hand, if you run a small business in one city and are trying to reach a specific age group, your total spend will be much lower.

2. Determine which social channels you will use.

Now that you have a good idea of the size and location of your target audience, you need to decide which channels you can use to reach them. For instance, nearly 40% of Gen Zers use platforms such as Instagram and TikTok to find answers to their questions or stay up-to-date on current events. If you’re hoping to target this demographic, you’ll need to allocate marketing spend for Instagram or TikTok ads.

3. Assess whether you will need outside vendors.

If your organization has a very small in-house marketing team with little digital marketing experience, you may need to hire a few vendors to hit your digital marketing goals. You might just need a graphic designer to create branded ads for your digital channels or someone to help place your ads and track performance. Alternatively, you may need a full-service digital marketing agency to execute your strategy. Outsourcing may cost more in the short term, but it could lead to a higher return on investment overall.

4. Take a look at what your competitors are doing.

Another way to gauge your digital marketing needs is to see what your competitors are doing. Take a look at content produced by businesses in your industry that are similar in size. What are they doing well? Have they seen an increase in clients or sales? Answering questions like this can help you decide what to do with your digital marketing strategy and budget.

If you are new to digital marketing, figuring out where to start can be difficult. However, once you nail down the size of your audience, the channels they prefer, and other factors, you can develop the rest of your strategy in a way that is sustainable and produces results.

Danny Shepherd is co-CEO of Intero Digital, a 350-person digital marketing agency that offers comprehensive, results-driven marketing solutions. Danny has more than 20 years of experience directing paid media strategies, optimizing SEO, and building solutions-oriented content and PR. He leads a team of experts in web design and development, Amazon marketing, social media, video, and graphic design.

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog. 

Contributed to EO by Chantel Cohen, an Atlanta EO Accelerator participant who founded CWC Coaching & Therapy to help entrepreneurs and professionals alike find a healthy sense of work-life integration and create the lives they always imagined. Through the Become One Again™ Method, Chantel helps clients enhance their relationships with themselves, their partners and their businesses with the goal of alleviating the associated mental stresses that come with high-demanding careers. Due to her unique approach, Chantel has hosted individual and group coaching sessions and workshops for clients including Google, Coca-Cola, CARE, Lenovo, and Coursera.

The journey of an entrepreneur is never easy. It is filled with challenges, failures, setbacks, as well as joys, thrills and celebrations. We asked Chantel Cohen, an entrepreneur, LCSW and Certified Executive Coach, how to successfully navigate the inevitable highs and lows an entrepreneur experiences throughout their journey. Here’s what she shared:

No matter how successful you are as an entrepreneur, you will always have fairly dramatic highs and lows. Why is this different from someone with a “regular job”?

Compared to those with a “regular job,” entrepreneurs struggle with a unique set of challenges. In my experience, they often let the same passion that drives them toward success consume them entirely. They associate their self-worth with the success of their business and, as such, take on an excessive amount of responsibility. Starting a company is always an intense journey full of highs and lows, but there are things entrepreneurs can do to keep themselves from spiraling out of control. I’ve based my entire career on helping people navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship!

What are your “Five Things Needed To Successfully Ride The Emotional Highs and Lows Of Being An Entrepreneur”?

1. Be intentional about cultivating self-love. A big part of this is breaking the habit of basing your self-worth on the success of your company. Your personal value has nothing to do with your business value!

2. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Your mental well-being is a muscle that requires constant attention and often the help of someone who can show you how to do exactly that. And remember, you don’t need to be in crisis mode to take advantage of mental health services.

3. Prioritize your relationships. As entrepreneurs, it’s typical for us to invest most of our energy into our businesses while neglecting our intimate relationships. But you don’t have to sacrifice your love life to be successful.

4. Focus on your minimums, not your maximums (this I learned from Jay Shetty!). This starts with a simple question: what do you need minimally in your life in order to meet your needs outside of your business? All too often, we make the mistake of trying to have it all instead of focusing on what we need at a minimum.

5. Don’t shy away from tough conversations. Aside from you, no one knows your business as intimately as your team. It can be tempting to downplay the impact of your emotions on your responsibilities and interactions in the workplace. However, it’s important to trust your team enough to tell them the truth. This doesn’t mean you have to tell them any intimate details about your life, but it does mean being more honest when answering the question “How are you?”

We are living during challenging times where resilience is critical. How do you define resilience?

To me, resilience is less about bouncing back from difficult times and more so the motivation to take control over your perspective on any obstacles you may be facing. It’s the capacity to face problems with a new awareness, allowing ourselves to adapt to change as our future shifts toward different complexities and uncertainties. I think the key to resilience is knowing the difference between perfectionism, which is often paralyzing, and high standards, which are more motivating. In my experience, people who focus on perfection are less resilient than those who strive for excellence in a healthy way.

What experiences have contributed to building your resiliency?

Taking a physics class at UCLA! All joking aside, it taught me that passing is sometimes good enough. We don’t need to excel at everything we do.

Do you tend to keep a positive attitude during difficult situations? What helps you to do so?

I do try to stay optimistic during difficult times, but it requires mindfulness and intentionality. I’ve found that meditation helps keep me grounded whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed. I especially like to follow walking-based meditations or take a few moments to recite mantras in order to let go of any anxious thoughts. This allows me to actively change my mindset and reframe challenges as opportunities.

Why does a leader’s positive attitude have a positive impact both on their clients and their team?

As a leader, you are the one who sets the tone for the interactions within your business, and your energy can easily cause a chain reaction. If you are injecting optimism into your business, your people will naturally be more engaged and motivated. This will lead to a ripple effect on your clients, who will be able to feel the passion and enthusiasm of you and your team. And, as therapists, being optimistic is critical for our clients. We need to show them what life looks like once you’ve overcome your struggles. We become a beacon of hope for them to work on themselves.

What inspirational quote motivates you to pursue greatness?

I really resonate with this quote from Tony Robbins: “Success is doing what you want to do, when you want, where you want, with whom you want, as much as you want.” I feel very strongly about being the architect of my own life, and this is what led me to start my own business in the first place.

This article first appeared in Authority Magazine on Medium and is edited for length and reposted here with permission.

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog. 

Are you considering a leap into entrepreneurship? Many professionals quit their jobs to launch new businesses during the Great Resignation. However, giving up a reliable paycheck to start a business is a risky choice, even with convenient access to expert business counsel and other tools that the internet affords.

Leaving a job to start a business can be overwhelming. In 2022, 50.5 million people changed or quit their jobs—more than the 47.8 million who did so in 2021. Some jobs are easy to leave, but breaking away can be difficult.

Have you reached the tipping point where it’s time to let your spouse or life partner know that you’re leaving your job–but find it difficult to start the conversation? Or have you tried talking about your dreams of something more fulfilling and ended up fighting instead?

It can be tempting to either avoid “the talk” or resign yourself to the miserable job until you can’t take it anymore. Or, you can turn the conversation into a healthier and more productive one, even if your partner has concerns. The goal is to reach a point where you both feel good about the outcome.

Tips for communicating entrepreneurial intentions to your life partner

As you’re preparing to venture into entrepreneurship, focus on what you can do to facilitate understanding from your spouse or life partner. Here are some steps to help you build bridges rather than destroy them:

1. Be honest.

Be honest with yourself and your partner about your reasons for quitting your job. Writing out your reasons is an excellent way to show your partner that it’s not just a spur-of-the-moment choice. A written list can also boost your confidence during the discussion.

Sometimes our partners don’t genuinely see how unhappy we are at work, especially if it looks like a perfect job on paper. Explain why starting a business is so important to you. Furthermore, when you have a clearer idea of your next step, you can show and explain why that next career or business is essential as opposed to the old one. That comparison alone can make a huge difference both for you and your partner.

2. Listen to your partner.

As with everything else in a relationship, it’s important to make sure your partner feels heard and understood on the topic of a career change. Simply taking the time to listen and give your partner room to ask questions or voice concerns can ease tensions tremendously. When your spouse feels heard, they will be more likely to offer support and guidance as you navigate this career change.

3. Make a solid plan.

It’s possible that your spouse will be more concerned with the how of your decision, which can trigger your fears that your business plans won’t succeed. Setting aside the “hows” early on is essential, but don’t ignore them altogether—that can create conflicts later on and stop you from pursuing your dreams. This may be tricky because the “how” is often precisely what your partner wants to talk about. Ensuring that your partner knows you have a business plan and are committed to it will go a long way toward gaining their support.

It’s a smart move to make a plan that addresses how you would handle some of their concerns. For example, would you commit to saving a specific amount of money before leaving your job?

4. Protect your emotions.

Your career change is a huge transition that can come with many ups and downs. Whether you feel sure about your next move or have no idea what to do next, you may experience times when you feel down about the whole process. Figure out ways to relax and take care of yourself that enable you to think clearly, such as listening to music, exercising, or getting out in nature — maybe even with a Yellowstone river rafting adventure!

5. Practice gratitude.

The whole process can cause stress and strain for your partner, so express gratitude for any support they have given you along the way. It’s important to determine the best ways to show your partner gratitude as well. Is it enough to just say thank you, or do actions speak louder than words? Try to find specific, actionable ways that show your spouse how much you appreciate them in a way that resonates with them.

As an entrepreneur, making that leap doesn’t scare you; it excites you. The thought of creating something from nothing or joining a team to build something from the ground up has driven you from fantasy to determined action. All you need to do is convince your partner. Do so by clearly stating your plans and motives upfront, then reiterating how going into business together may even benefit you both.

Contributed to EO by Patrick Sipp of Flying Pig Adventures, who gets his clients back into the outdoors, where the spray of the river, the warmth of the sunshine, and the immensity of the world around are clear and present. The company’s most recent trip includes horseback riding and river rafting by Yellowstone National Park. Patrick is a family man who has turned his passion for the outdoors into a gateway for his guests to experience adventures unlike anything else.

The way you speak and express yourself provides vital context to internal communications (IC), making it easier for your team to understand the message. Therefore, no matter what your organization is up to, video content can enhance your communications strategy.

Internal videos can make a positive impact in most areas of operations—from helping coworkers figure out complex new software via charming animated explainer content to kindly reminding them to adhere to new policies and processes with a funny, informational video guide.

But creating compelling video content to use internally can be tricky. You need to generate practical pieces to get results, but you also need to understand what the medium is (and isn’t!) suitable for.

Let’s examine the ins and outs of using video to enhance internal communications, and how to make the most out of your video communications.

Waving hello: Do we really need better internal communications channels?

By delivering crucial announcements on behalf of management, creating a transparent recruitment and onboarding process, and allowing two-way communication between a corporation and employees, IC is one of the most critical factors that most successful companies share.

With one clear goal in mind—ensuring adequate information circulation—companies have tried every communication format available, from telegrams to online meetings. Adapting video content to help fulfill and enhance this process is the next logical step.

How video can overhaul internal communications

Whether you’re preparing new employees for their first day at work, training them for a possible medical crisis, or sharing company values to nurture brand loyalty, video content is the most effective medium to deliver your message in memorable ways. 

When it comes to internal exchanges, staff need to know what you’re trying to convey, how that message relates to them, and what steps they should follow based on the information presented in the video. 

That’s the premise behind an effective internal communications pipeline. But what makes video content the smart choice?

The fact is, we’ve grown used to never-ending email chains and online meetings as a part of everyday business. But a high-quality, 60-second corporate training video can engage your workforce and get results like no Slack thread ever could.

To video, or not to video: That is the question

If you’re wondering whether your message is worth a video, consider its relevance and potential impact. 

Companies turn to video content for a handful of reasons which all benefit from the quirks and perks of a clean-cut production. Internal video content shares similarities with online courses that are readily accessible to all team members. Not only will they learn something new or get updates on relevant topics, but also they’ll always be able to go back and view said videos if they forget something. 

By creating an engaging video that brings essential topics to life, you avoid the drawbacks of text-based comms and ensure crucial information is heard and acted upon more consistently.

Bridging physical distance with video

Video content accomplishes a lot toward building a cohesive brand voice able to spread worldwide. By creating a clear way to distribute company-wide announcements, even across different branches, your content will reach those working from home and in different time zones as effectively as if they were right next to you.

Great videos go a long way toward nurturing interest despite the absence of in-person interaction. Moreover, if you want to make your message the talk of the town, videos can make announcements memorable. Most employees will remember a nicely produced, short-form video designed to speak to them on a personal level long after they are done watching.

Lastly, getting accurate feedback from your team shouldn’t be taken for granted. Videos can help generate opportunities for a two-way, individualized conversation, even in remote work settings, offering emotional context that might translate constructive criticism better than a long, heavy-worded email.

Get your point across: Tips on making the perfect internal communications video

While it can be easier to ignore a few emails, a good internal communication video is designed to nurture a certain degree of engagement. So, let’s review a few tips that make internal videos pop and generate the attention and reaction your company needs for this type of content. 

• Determine what you want to achieve with your video. Are employees in need of a soft skill boost? Are you looking to expand your team and onboard the latest draftees? From FAQs and announcement videos to corporate recruiting and training, the medium acts as a flexible tool you can customize to your needs. 
• Remember who your target audience is, and that crafting a perfect video for internal communications equals adding a dash of humanity to otherwise dull content. Consider adding emotional touchpoints that resonate with viewers. A bit of humor can spruce up monotonous content, and a heartfelt conversation gets people paying attention.  
• Leverage the power of clips of leaders and team members, even selfie-styled, recorded with a cell phone or webcam. Something as simple as brief clips of employees answering questions or delivering information where it’s needed can go a long way. 

It’s time to start leveraging video content to keep information circulating within your company and overhaul the way your staff communicates. 

Rely on personalized, simple and straight-to-the-point video messages to enhance your internal conversations—you won’t regret it.

Contributed to EO by Victor Blasco, an audiovisual designer, video marketing expert, and founder/CEO of the explainer video production company Yum Yum Videos. Besides running the business, he’s a lifelong student of Chinese philosophy and a passionate geek for all things sci-fi.

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog.