From Quiet Quitting to Quiet Thriving

How AI promotes a proactive work culture

Every movement has its counter-movement. This is also the case in HR. While “Quiet Quitting” describes a state in which employees only do the bare minimum, “Quiet Thriving” is a concept that encourages people to actively and creatively participate in their work sphere.

A proactive counter-design

The idea behind this approach is that people have a fundamental need for joy, development and fulfillment in their work. This creates motivation to not just strive for the minimum, even in a working environment that is perceived as rather negative, but to take on a proactive role. Such an attitude contributes to mental health and makes it possible to positively shape the environment within one’s own capabilities.

Exploring the possibilities

The “Circle of Control, Influence and Concern“, a model from positive psychology, shows the different levels of influence and the resulting options for action. It illustrates very well that some things are within our control and others are not. Recognizing and differentiating between them paves the way to more (inner) freedom and enjoyment of our own actions, even under suboptimal conditions.

In relation to the work context, this essentially raises three questions:

If I cannot control or influence my work environment, can I learn to accept it? (e.g. the behavior of my manager)
If a problem in my work environment is not within my control, can I influence it so that I experience at least some enjoyment at work? (e.g. work routine)
What is within my control? How can I gradually increase my scope of action in order to not only do the bare minimum, but to develop and contribute my own ideas out of an inner drive that pay into the company’s goals? Not out of obligation, but out of an authentic motivation that enhances me both personally and professionally?

In “Quiet Thriving”, employees consciously deal with their self-efficacy (however small it may be), proactively shape aspects that they can influence and adjust their attitudes and reactions with a look at the things that they cannot (initially) change. They also network with like-minded people and build a supportive community together in order to strengthen and utilize their collective self-efficacy.

Happier work thanks to AI

From an HR perspective, employees who perform monotonous tasks or tasks that are perceived as less meaningful are particularly prone to “quiet quitting”. Especially if they cannot see the immediate effect of their work and therefore do not feel valued. This is where HR can take targeted action and help shape the scope to promote “thriving”. One requirement for this is that HR employees recognize the emotional state of employees. Artificial intelligence (AI), which works with comprehensive language models (as we know them from ChatGPT), can help here. It determines how people in the organization are actually feeling by evaluating qualitative data (e.g. open text responses in a survey). Based on this data, HR can show demotivated and dissatisfied employees development and learning opportunities or enable a temporary transfer to another job.

For example, job rotations or further training can break established patterns, offer variety and provide new inspiration. Which development step is suitable for which employee can also be determined by the AI. It is important that these offers do not come as an additional burden “on top” and increase the employee’s workload, but represent a real alternative to the previous area of responsibility. A deep understanding of employees’ character traits, conditions and needs can also help to place the right people in the right roles within the organization at the right time and thus create optimal conditions for them to perform their tasks with motivation. Thanks to AI, HR has the opportunity for the first time to delve deep into the organization and unleash the full human potential that lies dormant within it.

Know your Privilege – and use it for the better.

It is important for me to emphasize that “Quiet Thriving” represents a privileged approach that is not applicable to all life and work situations. On the work side, it is particularly suitable for office jobs and industries in which skilled workers are scarce and employees have a certain amount of power. At the same time, the knowledge of the diverse nature of work experiences and environments should be an incentive for companies to make working life appreciative and fulfilling for as many people as possible. Emerging AI technology offers fascinating opportunities here. Let’s use them to leverage the creative potential that lies dormant in everyone.

Empowered teams: doing the right thing (instead of doing everything right)

What is more important on the job – doing things right or doing the right things? – Most people will probably answer “both”. Nevertheless, in the context of changing corporate cultures, it is worth thinking about this question in its absolute either-or variant.

Good leadership: With self-reflection and unsympathetic filter

A good leader – is that something you are or is that something you become? – Let me put it this way: you are one if you are willing to become one. In other words, leadership requires a willingness to develop. Leading always means learning to lead. It is an ongoing process that is never finished, especially in the fast-paced world we live in.

The self-made skills shortage

Why should we analyze applicants in depth if we have no choice about who we hire anyway? We hear this question a lot. It reflects the frustration many companies feel about the lack of skilled workers. And rightly so? – We say: Yes and no. For one thing, we think that the shortage of skilled workers is not a “force of nature” that companies are helplessly exposed to.