Effects of Quiet Quitting on Team Dynamics

Back in 2022, quiet quitting was mostly about people doing the bare minimum. Today, in 2025, it's something far more dangerous — and far harder to detect. Welcome to Quiet Quitting 2.0: Employees who still show up, still smile, still hit their KPIs — but have completely disconnected from caring, innovating, and pushing boundaries. ⚡ Here’s how this new wave of disengagement looks: -They attend meetings — but don’t contribute beyond the safe minimum. -They deliver tasks — but won’t challenge ideas, ask bold questions, or flag risks early. -They agree in conversations — but act passively in execution, withholding real energy. -They stay at the company — not because they believe in it, but because it's "good enough for now." No big resignations. No angry Glassdoor reviews. Just slow internal decay.  By the time performance issues show up on paper — you’ve already lost them emotionally months ago. You can’t "incentivize" your way out of Quiet Quitting 2.0. You can’t fix it with free lunches, flexible Fridays, or another round of engagement surveys. You fix it with leadership. Real, proactive, brutal self-reflective leadership. Here’s how: 1. Reconnect people to purpose — relentlessly. Humans don’t quietly quit what they believe matters. Every leader should be repeating: "Here’s why what you do matters." "Here’s how it ties directly to the bigger mission." "Here’s who you’re impacting." Sales teams don’t work harder for commission plans alone.  2. Redefine leadership success from control to connection. Top-down mandates worked in the factory era. Today’s talent needs to feel seen, heard, and valued — or they'll disengage quietly while showing up politely.  3. Build emotional "early warning systems." You should be noticing emotional withdrawal long before productivity metrics dip. Watch for: -Decrease in proactive suggestions -Surface-level answers replacing deep discussions -Consistently low-energy interactions -Avoidance of big bets or stretch goals 4. Make hard conversations early — not after they’re halfway out. If you notice disengagement creeping in — don’t wait. Address it early. Get curious, not judgmental. Ask: "I notice you seem less energized lately. Is there something missing for you here?" "Are we still giving you the challenges you need to grow?"  5. Lead yourself first — because your energy leaks faster than your words travel. Disengaged leaders create disengaged teams. If you’re checked out, burnt out, frustrated, your team will mirror you before they even realize it. Fixing quiet quitting starts in the mirror — not in HR. Quiet Quitting 2.0 is a leadership design problem. The lesson holds true across every arena: people don’t quit jobs first. They quit emotions first. They quit belief first. They quit trust first. Catch it there — or lose them later. Your call. #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipWisdom #QuietQuitting #EmployeeEngagement #StrategicLeadership

Pro Tip: Stop calling it 'quiet quitting' and start asking why your best people are emotionally checked out. It might be your go-to person always bringing fresh ideas who's now just doing his job, and just his job. And if you're honest? You get it. Because some days, that's exactly how you feel. A quick story: A coaching client recently watched his once-vibrant team overcome by some type of cloud stop crackling with energy? Projects now saw people nitpicking and splitting hairs about details. And the team's spirit was unraveling. What turned it around? He stopped trying to push through the fog and created space for real conversations. Not performance reviews. Not status updates. Actually asking "How are you holding up?" And listening to honest answers. Like opening windows in a stuffy room the bottled-up tension and unspoken issues thankfully had somewhere to go. People came out of the shadows and talked about the stuff causing their listlessness. Missed signs of burnout and making space for venting? Oblivious about what might need fixing? Your people will disappear into themselves and not have enough to give. Camaraderie/team dynamics will be under strain as well. Let's be mindful of the judgmental "quiet quitting" label and explore what's really happening…your best people are protecting themselves from burnout in a world that keeps demanding more. And between hard-hitting news cycles and challenges in their lives outside of work, things feel pretty stressful. The hard truth is, people can't pour from an empty cup. Not them. Not you. Here’s what you can do: Boost depleted oxygen (non literal). When people carry burdens alone, they retreat. So create space for the mind and psyche to breathe and exhale. Rethink "above and beyond." If someone's outstanding work now fits within their actual hours, that's not quiet quitting. It is healthy boundaries. Start small. A meeting turned into a real conversation. The "urgent" project pushed to next week. One genuine "thank you" when they do good work within normal hours. And most importantly, model it yourself. Your team notices when you send emails at midnight. They see you skipping lunch. They feel guilty taking vacation when you never do. The strongest message you can send is "protect your energies, I'm learning too" Your people aren't checking out. They're checking in with themselves. Maybe it's time we all did. _____________________ 💡As a workplace consultant and leadership development coach, I help leaders understand what's really happening in their teams through culture/systems assessment and coaching. We uncover the root causes and build 𝐀 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬™ 🌱 🌱 Is your once-vibrant team in flux? DM to discuss how my assessment and solutions will help.

Why Your High-Performers Are Quietly Disengaging (and what you can do about it) They still show up. They still deliver. But the spark is gone. This is what silent disengagement looks like. Not loud complaints. Not dramatic exits. Just a slow fade behind polite replies and empty cameras. Here are 7 subtle signs your top people are checking out without saying a word: 1️⃣ They stop volunteering ideas. Not because they don’t have them but because they don’t feel heard. 👉 Action: Create space for idea-sharing in 1:1s and actually follow up. 2️⃣ They default to “whatever works.” Not because they’re easygoing but because they’ve stopped caring. 👉 Action: Reconnect them to the why. Ask what excites them about their role or used to. Then co-create a stretch project around that. 3️⃣ Their boundaries harden. The ones who used to go above and beyond? Now just doing the job. 👉 Action: Don’t guilt them for pulling back. Respect their boundaries and ask what would help them feel energized to re-engage (not overextend). 4️⃣ They say “fine” too often. That’s not peace, it’s polite burnout. 👉 Action: Ask twice. Then listen. Be the leader who holds space without trying to fix it. 5️⃣ They stop asking for feedback. Not because they feel confident but because they feel unseen.   👉 Action: Initiate the feedback. Share what they’re doing well and where you see potential. Remind them they matter. 6️⃣ They push through. Quietly. Because being the strong one has become their identity.   👉 Action: Normalize vulnerability at the top. Share your own moments of fatigue and model what it looks like to step back without shame. 7️⃣ They update their LinkedIn but don’t say a word. Because they don’t want a conversation. They want a way out.   👉 Action: Don’t wait for an exit interview. Build regular, honest career check-ins into your culture before people mentally resign. Because when your best people go quiet, the goal isn’t to fill the silence. It’s to finally listen to it. — ♻️ Repost if you're ready to build cultures where high-performers thrive 🔔 Follow me Julia Laszlo for radically honest leadership talk

If you're not listening, you're losing your team. Losing your people doesn’t happen overnight. - At first, everything looks fine. - Your team still nods along in meetings. - They show up, do their tasks, and keep the wheels turning. But underneath? They’ve already made their decision: - Sharing ideas isn’t worth it. - Raising concerns leads nowhere. - Their voice doesn’t matter. And over time, the silence grows. Not because things are fine, but because they’ve stopped trying. That silence is disengagement in disguise. If you don’t address it, you’ll soon see your team head to the exit door. As a leader, your job is to create the conditions where your team feels safe to speak up, challenge you, and share their best. Because if no one’s pushing back or offering ideas, you’re not leading. You’re performing for an audience that stopped caring a long time ago. So ask yourself: Do you want a team that’s engaged and vocal? Or a room full of silent yes-men waiting for the exit door? It’s just a matter of choice. Credit to Adam Graham, CEO of JustFix, for the infographic.