I am a strong proponent of mutual respect in the workplace.
I believe in working together and building on mutual strengths. There is no room in any workplace for abuse of any kind—not from the boss to the employee, employee to employee, or employee to "boss." But assuming the person you answer to is not a (insert preferred expletive here) "Quiet Quitting" instead of just quitting is just as bad. We hire with the assumption that our new team member is going to do their best work for the wage offered, and if it isn't enough, why not just turn it down? To do anything else, I think, takes advantage of the employer, similar to when employers expect you to "be a team player" and work for nothing.
I believe in investing in the people on your team, public gratitude, paying for training, and open scheduling when possible. I also believe in cost-of-living raises and earned bonuses. We have part-time, full-time remote, and full-time office work at Matthewson & Co., which works because we have the right people for our work.
I believe in fair treatment. I believe adults should be treated like adults. I also believe that when we hire someone to work with us, we should be able to count on them to do their best and not just half-ass it.
I listened to an interview this morning in which one of the young people indicated she did not intend to work for a living because she believed her role was intended to be something different, a little more magical, and she simply did not want to waste her time. Yet, she expected her bills to be paid. This is a weird concept to someone like me who has been working since she was 13, babysitting and cleaning rooms to buy the jeans I wanted but my parents couldn't afford. Lucky for me, my parents instilled in me that you can have anything you want if you are willing to do the work.
If I thought any of my team members were engaging in "quiet quitting," I would, I think, engage in "rapid firing."
I'd rather see them working someplace that lights up their board, and if I cannot engage them, we just aren't the right fit. It is not my job to create an employee's dream job; that is theirs, and we will do what we can to help. One of the benefits of entrepreneurship is that you get to decide what that looks like to you.
Fortunately for me, I work with some of the most innovative, well-educated, and dedicated team members anyone could hope for. Everyone gives their all most of the time. Nobody gives 100 percent all the time, nor should we expect them to. Human. Who could ask for more than that?
Our workplace works because respect is mutual. Not all employers are (again, use your imagination), and not all employees are wastes of skin, waiting for someone to notice how special they are. The world is shifting, folks, but respect and hard work do not go out of style. Grandma was right.
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