The “Great Resignation” reveals a question to ponder: Are you completing or quitting?
Both are ways to end something, but they come from completely different places and produce different outcomes.
The long-lasting and challenging pandemic period created a pursuit of refreshment for most of us. From so many friends, I hear whispers of wanting to ‘leave’ without even looking back. They want to leave and go for a vacation, live in a new city, pursue a new career, or start a brand-new relationship. For many, a reason, an opportunity even, was presented to them to simply change their lives after such a traumatic and depressive period. And I find this so natural. So human.
This pursuit of refreshment in the business perspective unfolds to changing jobs or even shifting careers. During the pandemic, we simply redefined our purpose. Millions of people went through stages of some self-reflection to reassess their priorities in life. Some preferred to disconnect to focus on their mental health. For others, this was an opportunity to reframe and redefine their purpose in life, realizing that they want a completely different job or career. Or some became conscious of what their current job means to them and opted to take a more passionate stance. Likewise, after literally seeing that most work can be done remotely, the whole workplace ecosystem has changed and very few want to work for companies that do not shift. It came as no surprise to see the effects of all these in business with the so-called “Great Resignation”.
In March 2021, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) warned companies and leaders of a looming turnover “tsunami” mentioning that 50% of American employees intend to look for a new job this year. Similarly, as justification for this extreme prediction, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that in April 2021, some 4 million people quit their jobs. This is a record high figure by any standard, unprecedented for the last 20 years in the US. This trend has since started in Canada, France, and some other European countries as well. Financial Times states that there are growing signs that employees around the world want a change after 15 turbulent pandemic months upended working life. According to another research study, just under 40% of UK and Irish workers say they want a change this year, or once the economy resumes its course.
These figures and extrapolations point once again, towards the vital importance of leadership. Leaders’ ability to focus on people, empower rather than control, and create a results-only work environment (ROWE) are much more critical than ever. It is so obvious that companies and leaders should transform in line with the whole global shift in our world. Failing which, this Great Resignation will certainly not be a mere myth but indeed turn out to be a “tsunami”.
Like in every other crisis, leaders should recognize and leverage on the opportunity to transform, be supportive, and spur productivity. On a deeper level, with the reflection of employee’s inner voices and changing purposes during the pandemic, the coaching role of the leader comes to the fore. As is common knowledge, asking the right questions is at the core of coaching. When a team member expresses the desire to resign after such a dramatic period of the pandemic, one fundamental question to be asked by the leader should be:
“Are you completing or quitting?”
Both are ways to end something, but they come from completely different places and produce different outcomes. The answer begs the question whether one is leaving a job, a marriage, or a friendship.
This is why a leader should coach to reveal the difference between quitting and completing. This is essential both for the happiness of the individual and also for the productivity of the business.
This brings to mind an example of what I would consider good leadership: One of my friends runs a communications agency. A team member responsible for media monitoring and client reporting, tendered his resignation saying that he was fed up with the job. He said he wanted to do something more meaningful, more creative for himself. And then, his manager asked the vital questions.
What is the difference between quitting and completing for you? Which one are you more close?
What is the real issue?
What will make you ready for the next adventure?
Tell me, what have you learned this year? What could be the possible interesting learning you have ahead?
What are your options? What would you explore next?
These are some of the key questions to be asked by the leader to foster completeness.
Searching for the answers during the coaching sessions, he realized that he wanted to be a photographer. He wanted to be in the field, taking photos. The meaning of taking photos for him is ‘creating the visuals to depict the reality and raise the consciousness as to what is happening in the world’. What a great mission, I thought.
And finding that mission, he was ready to move to the next step. This was his wake-up call and he had learnt what he needed to learn. Now, he was complete.
The result: my friend offered him the exact role he wanted in her company. He continues working for the same company but in a different role. It was apparent that he completed his mission in media monitoring and followed his path towards his next adventure. My friend retained a very enthusiastic photographer which is key for her business. A win-win situation in the end. This, I felt was a truly tremendous leadership example and a learning story about ‘feeling complete’ versus ‘quitting’.
Quitting has a feeling of ‘defeat’ and could be interpreted as failure. Frankly, I think it is somewhat rigid to frame ‘quitting’ as a failure. I also believe it is not black or white. It is not whether ‘I totally quit’ or ‘I am fully complete’. It is akin to a pendulum. The more conscious we become of our choices, the more the pendulum swings to the ‘complete’ side. Consciousness is the keyword here.
When we quit, we don’t learn what we were meant to learn. We need to register for the same class again — perhaps with different people, but more or less under similar conditions we face with, and then the question inevitably arises, ‘why me again?’. This is life, showing us the signs.
When you complete with someone or something before leaving, you have received all the benefits that the circumstance has to offer. You’ve learned all the lessons and become a more complete version of yourself as a result of the experience. You have complete freedom to move to the next step. This ‘enlightenment’ brings you consciousness.
Thus, the aim of the leader should be to raise this consciousness. The leader should bring out the real motivation in people. While the Great Resignation takes on wings and spreads over the world, leadership with effective coaching skills is the desired pathway for success.
As Malcolm Gladwell aptly puts it, “A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste”.
