FORGET THE SNEERING attitude towards the quiet quitters ― and tune out the little person in your head telling you to climb the ladder as fast as you can. Why? Because it appears that sometimes, coasting at work has its benefits.

A number of recent studies have pointed out that expecting yourself (or your employees) to be ‘on’ every second of the week, or expecting yourself to always be a couple steps ahead of schedule, is a recipe for disaster: either you’ll be burned out or eventually something will slip through the cracks.

Enter the not-so-new concept of coasting. These days, most people think of coasting as a negative, but this is a relatively modern affectation. “The way we look at coasting has radically changed,” writes Andre Spicer. “In the past, being relaxed and not burdened with too much work was a sign of status. Now, being extremely busy shows you are important. If you are not insanely overburdened, then you are seen as a slacker.”

And that, according to a number of experts, needs to change. Instead of looking at coasting as a negative behaviour, we should think of it as taking a breather, or surfacing for air once and a while.  

Coasting has its advantages. Provided you’re not actively letting things slide, hitting your minimums with a corresponding level of effort can help preserve a sense of wellbeing. People who perceive themselves to be ‘working hard’ have been shown in studies to both feel worse

and perform worse at their jobs.

How then, to coast effectively? Have a purpose, writes Rachel Feintzeig. “Start by reminding yourself what you’re prioritizing instead of climbing the ladder. Maybe you’re choosing stability or your family or health. Focus on what you’re adding, not giving up.”

Other tips? Be transparent with your supervisors about why you want to take things a bit easier for a while. You can also follow a less-is-more approach, trying to chime in with more insightful ideas than being the one to maximize output. (“Don’t have a big win to announce at a meeting? Focus on asking insightful follow-up questions instead,” Feintzeig suggests.)

What you might realize is that coasting every now and again is an important part of effectively playing the long game. “People want such immediate gratification,” one operating partner at a private capital firm told the Wall Street Journal. “You end up realizing your career is long and you have plenty of time.” Kieran Delamont

LEADERSHIP

Is it time to fire your managers?

Flattening an organization’s hierarchy has become a bit of a business trend as companies toss aside the corporate ladder

AT ONE POINT or another, most of us have had a common fantasy, in which all those overbearing supervisors and helicopter managers are fired, leaving only the employees to run the show. (Who better to call the shots, after all, than the people doing the work?)

For most of us, that’s all it’s ever been ― a fantasy. But what if it wasn’t?

Enter the “teal” workplace management philosophy. It was envisioned by former McKinsey consultant Frédéric Laloux in his book Reinventing Organizations, in which he classified workplace structures on a colour spectrum, ranging from more primitive, wolf-pack like structures (red), through to our current highly structured corporate models (orange) all the way up to teal, which Laloux described as a situation where self-management replaces hierarchy. It was, to Laloux, the direction the workplace was ultimately heading.

Since then, the teal management approach has gone from a theoretical future to one that is being applied in the real world. The online shoe company Zappos is probably the biggest example, with their official policy of “Holacracy,” which eliminated managers in 2014. (None of them were fired; managers got to keep their salaries as they transitioned into new roles.)

There’s a rationale behind it, state experts. “A hierarchy of managers exacts a hefty tax on any organization,” wrote Gary Hamel in the Harvard Business Review. “Managers add overhead, and as an organization grows, the costs of management rise in both absolute and relative terms.”

As a company grows, explained Hamel, layers of management need to be added that expand labour costs. Moreover, managers create more risk around decision-making. “Hubris, myopia and naïveté can lead to bad judgment at any level, but the danger is greatest when the decision maker’s power is, for all purposes, uncontestable.”.

Teal management structures can now be found in pockets of the workforce around the world, and it’s slowly gaining more adherents. And interestingly, the biggest hurdle most organizations have faced in implementation is the transition process – at Zappos, 15 per cent of the workforce took a buyout rather than transition.

But for those that have transitioned, many have found success with it – especially through Covid, when the lack of rigidity helped some teal organizations respond more quickly. “I’ve been able to learn, and do so many things that I wouldn’t have otherwise,” said one employee of the fintech company Smarkets. “Now I’ve tasted that I wouldn’t want to go back.” Kieran Delamont

CAREERS

When the clock strikes midlife

For many Gen Xers, the past few years have opened an opportunity to consider pursuing career dreams ― and many have decided to take the leap

AS THE MILLENNIAL generation grew up, many were taught to expect a working life that would include multiple, distinct “careers” ― expectations that have more or less been borne out in stats reflecting their job-hopping proclivities.

On the other hand, baby boomers were one of the last generations accustomed to having single careers that spanned their entire working lives. Two different generations, two different philosophies on work and loyalty.

Sandwiched in between the two is Generation X, who straddle these two different worlds. Many began their careers before the career pivot was as common as it is today, but now are in the back nine of their careers and working in an economy that tends to reward career-hopping. And lots of them are now exploring or experiencing career pivots that, because of their relative seniority and shorter remaining time, look a lot different than the conventional career change.

“For many of these more seasoned workers, the past few years have opened an opportunity to consider pursuing dreams. Many have decided to take the leap,” reported the BBC. Those reaching their mid-40s and mid-50s are experiencing professional midlife crises in relatively high numbers. Many are ready ― emotionally and financially ― to pursue passion projects.

“Thirty years [in the workforce] is a long time,” said Eric Vogelsang, director of the Center on Aging at California State University. “And I think part of it might be that they see this as a final chance to do it.” (There’s even some evidence that giving yourself a new set of challenges at this stage in your career has benefits for your brain health.)

It certainly comes with its own challenges, though. There’s not as much time to commit to reskilling, and many members of Gen X have financial commitments that influence their decision. Women in the workforce, especially, have a harder time making drastic changes later in life.

But all of that aside, many are finding real joy in it. “I think pretty much everybody looked at me like I was crazy when I said I was quitting a stable and successful teaching career,” one such career-pivoter told the BBC. “To be 43, and all of a sudden say, ‘Okay, now I'm a podcaster’… it almost sounds like make-believe.” Kieran Delamont

LEGISLATION

No poach, no more

Employers take note: Canada has new rules prohibiting wage-fixing and no-poaching agreements

MORE FROM LONDON INC.

Follow Us