1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,000 Dr. Jerry, you got the whole world waiting. 2 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Been ready for you to start the conversation. 3 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:10,000 No point of view, we got the haters confused. 4 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:14,000 Leave it up to you to bring us all the good news. 5 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:19,000 Positive five lives and the six appeal to Dr. Andre Jerry. 6 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:21,000 Can I get an interview? 7 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:24,000 You, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you. 8 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:29,000 Good evening and welcome to a brand new episode of Live with Dr. Andre Jerry. 9 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:35,000 Hey, thank you so much for joining us this evening and for your support of the Artists First radio network. 10 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:38,000 We sincerely appreciate your listenership. 11 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:50,000 So listen, we had an overwhelming response to our last broadcast, which was our special Fourth of July episode that covered the recent presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. 12 00:00:50,000 --> 00:01:01,000 And it seems that the very strategy that I recommended to the Democratic leadership during that episode is now in the early stages of being implemented. 13 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:07,000 So that's very encouraging and a reminder that words indeed have power. 14 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:09,000 Listen, we all have a platform. 15 00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:14,000 I don't care if it's TV, radio, a classroom or even just our family and friends. 16 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:22,000 It's important that we leverage our sphere of influence to effect change on issues that we're passionate about. 17 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:36,000 So if you missed our special episode, I definitely encourage you to go to our homepage at artistsfirst.com forward slash Dr. Andre Jerry, or you can go on our YouTube channel Live with Dr. Andre Jerry and check it out. 18 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:43,000 Okay, so in tonight's episode, we're going to be discussing an emerging trend in the workplace. 19 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:47,000 Known as quiet quitting. 20 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:50,000 Have you guys heard about this before? 21 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:52,000 If you haven't, no worries. 22 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:57,000 I'm going to explain what this is in a second, but really is nothing new. 23 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:08,000 People have been doing this for decades, but you know, nowadays, everything's a trend, especially once it becomes popularized on social media and has its own hashtag. 24 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:20,000 So quiet quitting is the term that's used when employees disengage emotionally from their work without explicitly resigning. 25 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:34,000 And it often occurs when employees feel undervalued, overworked or burnt out, and this leads them to gradually withdraw their emotional investment in their roles. 26 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:50,000 So these folks are the ones that are doing the absolute bare minimum at work and they're avoiding things like overtime, extra duties, just to sort of maintain a work-life balance. 27 00:02:50,000 --> 00:03:00,000 Now, when I first read about this definition of what quiet quitting actually is, my first thought was, okay, this is nothing new. 28 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:07,000 And then my next thought was, wait a minute, this is actually what's happening with me right now. 29 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,000 Like, this is where I'm at in my current job. 30 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:12,000 We'll get to that later. 31 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,000 But, you know, think about it. 32 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:27,000 If this is something that I'm currently experiencing at my level, then imagine how many others in the workforce can relate to this and may even be quiet quitting themselves without actually realizing what they're doing. 33 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:35,000 A recent Gallup survey indicates that quiet quitters make up at least 59% of the U.S. workforce. 34 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:48,000 And one in three employers say that they anticipate higher turnover in the second half of this year, 2024, and that will financially impact companies and it's going to burden the remaining employees. 35 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:59,000 So I think those are some alarming statistics, particularly if you're an employer or in management, that would really, really concern me. 36 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:08,000 And as an employer or manager, my first question would be, okay, what's driving this trend? 37 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:10,000 And why is it persisting? 38 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:16,000 And even more importantly, what can we do to mitigate this? 39 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:35,000 So I want to get into some key reasons for quiet quitting because as you can imagine, this workplace trend of quiet quitting has resulted in a lot of high turnover for a lot of companies, which is not only going to hurt them in their pockets, 40 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:52,000 but also from a cultural aspect by negatively impacting morale and having this trend potentially proliferate as more employees start to take notice and do the same thing. 41 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:56,000 So there's sort of this cascading effect that can happen with this. 42 00:04:56,000 --> 00:05:01,000 And that's what a lot of these corporations are actually nervous about. 43 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:16,000 So in conducting our research for this topic, I discovered three key factors that is contributing to this quiet quitting trend and why it's gained so much momentum over the past couple of years. 44 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:23,000 So the number one factor is lack of recognition and career growth. 45 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:33,000 So a lot of employees feel as though the extra efforts that they're putting in on the job aren't rewarded or acknowledged. 46 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:43,000 Employees are seeking more meaningful recognition for their contributions and more of a clear pathway for career advancement. 47 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:50,000 And I can certainly relate to this just thinking about my own situation at work and maybe you can relate to this as well. 48 00:05:50,000 --> 00:06:03,000 I'm someone who takes really great pride in their work ethic and making sure that I go above and beyond in whatever my responsibilities are. 49 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:08,000 I take pride in my reputation of being a top performer. 50 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:10,000 And this is in every position that I've had. 51 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:13,000 I'm very intentional about that. 52 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:22,000 Not so much the accolades themselves, but because I believe I have a responsibility. 53 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:34,000 As a black man, and you can say whether this is fair or unfair, but as a black man, I don't really have the luxury of being subpar or mediocre when it comes to my job. 54 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:37,000 I have to be exceptional. 55 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:45,000 I have to be exceptional in my presentation, in my delivery, in how I approach my work. 56 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:54,000 So over the course of many years in my professional career, I've just grown accustomed to going above and beyond. 57 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:57,000 It's like it's second nature at this point. 58 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:10,000 But even with operating in that manner, every so often you're going to run into situations where your management or leadership is not going to recognize your efforts. 59 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:15,000 They'll see you putting in the long hours. 60 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:21,000 They'll see you volunteering for additional duties when no one else steps up. 61 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:35,000 They'll see you helping your coworkers with their particular projects or presentations and taking time from your work to train new hires when that's not really even a part of your job requirement. 62 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:37,000 You know what I mean? 63 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:43,000 So they'll see these things and will sometimes take it for granted. 64 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:51,000 Or they can be so caught up in their ambitions that they overlook your contributions. 65 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:55,000 Sometimes it's much more sinister. 66 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:57,000 And this is what I often deal with. 67 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:10,000 Sometimes your manager or supervisor, leadership, whatever, they'll feel threatened by you and they will intentionally not recognize you for your contributions. 68 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:20,000 And they may even work covertly behind the scenes to block you from certain career advancement and other opportunities. 69 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:29,000 And this is the type of stuff that happens all day, every day in the workplace from corporate C-sweets to nonprofits. 70 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:33,000 It happens in mid-sized businesses, small businesses. 71 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:34,000 It just happens. 72 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:39,000 And this is the number one driver for the quiet quitting trend. 73 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:44,000 And people are just sick of it and they're no longer putting up with it. 74 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:50,000 The number two reason that's driving this trend is burnout and mental health. 75 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:55,000 So people are overworked, period. 76 00:08:55,000 --> 00:09:04,000 And overwork employees are more likely to disengage just to protect their own mental health and well-being. 77 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:11,000 It's just not worth it burning yourself out for these jobs that at the end of the day don't care about you. 78 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:14,000 And, you know, again, this is something I can relate to. 79 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:26,000 Oftentimes when managers notice that you're a top performer or someone that can be relied on to get the job done and get it done efficiently, 80 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:35,000 they'll reward you with more and more responsibilities to the point where it can almost be abusive to an extent. 81 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:44,000 And if you're someone that has a positive attitude and, you know, you're a team player, you say yes to everything, 82 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:49,000 a lot of companies will exploit that and they'll work the hell out of you. 83 00:09:49,000 --> 00:10:00,000 And in today's workforce, I don't think it's very common to come across people with a solid work ethic, you know? 84 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:10,000 So a lot of times these types of people are the ones carrying the heaviest workload on teams, you know? 85 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:13,000 So just imagine being one of these people. 86 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:18,000 Imagine being on a team with 10, 15 other people. 87 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:22,000 And you, maybe three others on the team are top performers. 88 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:29,000 And you're the ones who are carrying the bulk of the workload for the entire team, you know? 89 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:32,000 You're getting the most demanding clients. 90 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:39,000 You're getting the high visibility projects that get scrutinized by leadership. 91 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:47,000 You're the one getting asked to train new hires that come in because, hey, you're good at what you do, you know? 92 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:49,000 You have a great attitude. 93 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:53,000 You always take on more and more responsibility. 94 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:58,000 And, you know, nine times out of 10, what are your managers going to do when they see that? 95 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:04,000 When they see that, you know, you're stressed, you're overwhelmed, you might be burned out. 96 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:06,000 You'd be surprised. 97 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:12,000 A lot of them won't even take a moment to pretend to care. 98 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:18,000 And they may not even ask the basic questions like, hey, how are you doing? 99 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:20,000 Really? How are you doing? 100 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:23,000 Is everything good with your family? 101 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,000 How's your mother doing? 102 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:28,000 I heard you mentioned to Sally last week that she was ill. 103 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:30,000 Does she feel any better? 104 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:35,000 You know, something like that, or, hey, you've been working really long hours on this project lately. 105 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:39,000 I want you to know how much, you know, I appreciate your hard work. 106 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:42,000 I think I'm going to put you in for a time off award this quarter. 107 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:49,000 Just, you know, little things like that can go a long way in making people feel seen 108 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:56,000 and making them feel appreciated for their efforts and for all the time that they're spending away from their families 109 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:59,000 and other things that they'd like to do. 110 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:08,000 So I definitely understand how burnout and mental health concerns could be a huge factor with this quiet quitting trend. 111 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:14,000 The number three driver of this trend is desire for flexibility. 112 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:27,000 And this is an important one because as we all know, because of the COVID pandemic, there was this huge shift to remote work during those two and a half years. 113 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:33,000 And during the time we were all doing telework, remote work, whatever you want to call it, 114 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:47,000 that completely changed the way we work and how we communicate with each other from coworkers to customers, other internal and external stakeholders. 115 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:59,000 I think we can all agree that at first it was a bit different and challenging, but we all adapted and it just became sort of our new normal. 116 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:11,000 And it's been proven that, hey, we can still be just as productive and in some cases more productive when we're working remotely or teleworking. 117 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:19,000 Not to mention we become accustomed to the flexibility that comes with working remotely. 118 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:26,000 You know, the extra time we get to spend with our families and we can take Zoom meetings and our pajamas and in the bed. 119 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:31,000 And of course, no one's going to miss the annoying commute to and from work every day. 120 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:33,000 We're not going to miss that. 121 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:39,000 So workers are very reluctant to give all of that up. 122 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:46,000 And lately there's been this RTO movement, which stands for Return to Office. 123 00:13:46,000 --> 00:14:01,000 This RTO movement has been in full swing for over a year with almost 90% of companies set to complete their return to office initiatives by the end of this year. 124 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:09,000 And so far only 2% of companies are saying that they have no plans to require employees to return to the office. 125 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:21,000 So many companies that shifted to this remote work during the pandemic, they're now regressing back and they're now requiring in office presence at some level. 126 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:26,000 You know, whether it's a hybrid work schedule or returning to the office full time. 127 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:35,000 And they're doing this to gen up productivity, which they're hoping will generate revenue growth. 128 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:46,000 But what a lot of companies weren't expecting was this really strong resistance from the workforce. 129 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:48,000 You know, people are just not having it. 130 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:55,000 Many employees are simply just not willing to give up the flexibility that they've enjoyed over the past two years. 131 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:58,000 And they sort of dug their heels in. 132 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:13,000 Big tech companies like Dell, they've taken this return to work or else stance and is forcing employees to classify themselves as either remote or in the office. 133 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:25,000 And Dell now has this policy where workers who classify themselves as remote, they can no longer be promoted or hired into new roles within a company. 134 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:36,000 So there's sort of this standoff between companies and workers where neither side is really willing to budge or weaken their resolve. 135 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:50,000 And according to Business Insider, internal Dell tracking data has revealed that nearly 50% of the workforce has opted to accept the consequences of staying remote. 136 00:15:50,000 --> 00:16:00,000 So it tells you a lot. It tells you that half of Dell's workforce values flexibility over career advancement. 137 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:11,000 And I'd venture to say that that's representative of how most of the workforce, the remote workforce that is, feels and statistics backs this up. 138 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:27,000 Current research shows that about 47% of employees say that they will quit their job or look for a new job immediately if their employer mandated a full-time return to the office policy. 139 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:47,000 So, you know, if companies want to retain top talent and not absorb all of the associated costs that come with recruiting and retraining new employees, they might want to consider or reconsider their approach to this return to work stuff 140 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:53,000 because the bottom line here is that the pandemic has changed the way we work. 141 00:16:53,000 --> 00:17:02,000 It just has, plain and simple. Employees' expectations for flexible work arrangements have increased. 142 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:16,000 So I feel that the return to office policies should adapt to these new expectations and what is now our new normal because it's going to be very difficult to put that genie back in the bottle. 143 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:28,000 And so listen, so to recap, the three main drivers of the quiet quitting trend is number one, lack of recognition and career growth. 144 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:36,000 The second one was burnout and mental health. And the third one was desire for flexibility. 145 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:47,000 And so that's what's resonating most today with, you know, with the workforce. And I'm sure you can relate to it as I can. 146 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:55,000 I want to talk about now how this new trend has impacted the job market and how it's impacting companies. 147 00:17:55,000 --> 00:18:13,000 For one, it's having a huge impact on productivity and morale because if you think about it, if you have quiet quitters at your job, these are people that have just checked out. 148 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:23,000 And we all know these people. They become antisocial. They're no longer participating in the office potlucks, the wingman days, 149 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:30,000 whatever you want to call it, the office events, they have a very low participation in these types of things. 150 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:40,000 They don't participate in the meetings. They will call out in a minute. You know, they do just enough work to keep from getting written up or fired. 151 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:48,000 And you know, a lot of times when it looks like they're working, they're actually applying for other jobs on the clock. 152 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:58,000 And I know because I've been this person, I've lived this. And you know, your supervisor gets on your nerves, your coworkers, they annoy you. 153 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:06,000 You don't want anyone to bother you or email you about anything. You just sick of everybody and you just, you don't want to be there. 154 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:11,000 And honestly, when you get to that point, it's time to go. 155 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:21,000 I'll be real with you, unless you can do the mental work of adopting a more positive attitude, you probably should just bow out. 156 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:30,000 But the catch here is that, you know, really unless you change your attitude, it's not going to matter whether you change jobs or not. 157 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:38,000 Because without a positive attitude and having a sense of gratitude for your present opportunity, 158 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:46,000 you're going to keep encountering the same types of problems. It's just going to be with different people. 159 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:54,000 Another impact to companies, you know, because of this trend is retention challenges. 160 00:19:54,000 --> 00:20:07,000 So when there are a lot of high rates of quiet quitting that persist in your company, then that indicates a deeper issue in the organization that's not being addressed. 161 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:20,000 And companies that are being negatively impacted by this, I feel that they should take bold action to sort of reassess their level of engagement with the workforce. 162 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:34,000 Whatever they need to do, hire consultants or use what are those things called, those anonymous climate surveys, taking a look at their recognition strategies and just see where they can make improvements. 163 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:49,000 And then, you know, take note of that and make changes accordingly because if these metrics are not properly addressed, then the company is going to have a difficult time attracting and retaining top talent. 164 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:53,000 And the cost of recruitment are going to go through the roof. 165 00:20:53,000 --> 00:21:10,000 So I'm talking to employers right now and really keep in mind that for the average mid-sized to large company, the total estimated cost to hire a new employee is usually three to four times the position salary. 166 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:25,000 Okay, so that means that if you're going to hire someone for a job that pays $60,000, you may end up spending close to $180,000 or more just to feel that particular role. 167 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:40,000 You know, so keep playing games with this new workforce. These Gen Zers who make up about 25% of the workforce and 30% of the workforce by 2025, keep playing with them. 168 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:43,000 You know, they're a little, they're different. 169 00:21:43,000 --> 00:22:00,000 They have different expectations and priorities in terms of what they're looking for in a job. It's just different. It's not the same as the Millennials or Gen X, which is my generation, or the baby boomers. 170 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:07,000 Gen Zers prioritize stuff like social activism. 171 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:17,000 They value training and leadership programs and corporate cultures that are authentic and not antiquated. 172 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:34,000 You know, so if your company or your organization is stuck in the stone ages and it hasn't really taken a strong stance on current social issues, stuff like abortion rights, which is big right now, immigration reform, health equity. 173 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:46,000 If they haven't taken a strong stance on those and actively participating in social change, it's going to be difficult to connect with a Gen Z workforce. 174 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:58,000 And Gen Z is big on job quality and things like flexible work schedules. And they like tools that make it easier to communicate. 175 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:09,000 So, you know, like I said, if your company is very rigid in its policies or the old way of doing business, then eventually you're going to get left behind. 176 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:17,000 Because like I mentioned earlier, by 2025, 30% of the workforce will be Gen Z. 177 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:22,000 So they're on track to be the majority of the workforce in just a few years. 178 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:39,000 And, you know, if you're someone who's currently in leadership or you manage teams at work, you really need to understand the composition of your teams and learn how to effectively lead a multi-generational workplace. 179 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:42,000 Because that's what we're dealing with these days. 180 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:53,000 And you can't manage a Gen Xer like myself. You can't manage us the same way that you would manage a millennial or a Gen Zer. 181 00:23:53,000 --> 00:24:05,000 They're just totally different. And as a matter of fact, if you're interested in learning more about this topic, I have a book that I read a few years back. 182 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:24,000 It's called Gen Z, Gen Z at Work. Gen Z at Work, How the Next Generation is Transforming the Workplace, is written by David Steeleman and Jonah Steeleman, who are both experts and thought leaders on generational issues. 183 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:39,000 And this book is actually one of the first comprehensive studies that talks in depth about how best to recruit, retain, motivate, and manage Gen Zers. 184 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:49,000 So again, Gen Z at Work is the name of the book. And it's available on Amazon and of course other major online retailers. 185 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:59,000 I'll try to reach out to their media team and see if I can book one of the authors on a future episode. I think that'll be a good episode moving forward. 186 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:07,000 But anyway, while I'm promoting books, I think this would be a great time for us to take a quick commercial break and promote my own book. 187 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:17,000 My own book is called Write or Die, Expressions of Life, Love, and Lost, Volume 1, which is available exclusively on Amazon and Kindle. 188 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:22,000 And when we return, I want to talk a little bit about my own experiences in the workplace. 189 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:28,000 And we'll talk about a new form of quiet quitting that's called coffee badging. 190 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:32,000 So you won't want to miss this. Stay tuned. We'll be right back in a few. 191 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:36,000 Waves of sadness from out of nowhere. 192 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:39,000 Instantly you feel a weight of despair. 193 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:43,000 A subtle heaviness that leaves you drained. 194 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:47,000 And a lingering loneliness that remains. 195 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:54,000 Suddenly there is no reason to smile. And then you become angry for a while. 196 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:59,000 Lashing out at anyone near, especially the ones you hold dear. 197 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:05,000 Enprisoned by your own emotions, unsettled by the lack of control. 198 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:10,000 Trying to make sense of it all, meanwhile it takes its toll. 199 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:19,000 Distancing yourself from family, pushing your friends away, knowing in your heart that maybe you'll need their support one day. 200 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:27,000 As your despondency becomes palpable and more real, you find it difficult to express how you feel. 201 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:34,000 So you become quiet and do your best to disguise it. But there is no denying it. 202 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:41,000 There is something wrong because nothing you do feels right. The sadness is overwhelming. 203 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:46,000 But you're too angry to cry. Deep into the pit of self-pity you're hurled. 204 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:53,000 Where you realize you're not depressed. You're mad at the world. 205 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:58,000 This poem written by Dr. Andre Gerry is entitled Mad at the World. 206 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:05,000 From his literary debut, Write or Die, Expressions of Life, Love and Loss, Volume 1. 207 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:08,000 Available exclusively on Amazon and Kindle. 208 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:12,000 Write or Die is more than just a collection of poetry. It's a lifestyle. 209 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:21,000 A call to action to its readers to consider expressive writing such as poetry as a catalyst for healing, growth, and change. 210 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:27,000 Write or Die assists the reader in a way that's relative to them and helps to identify their own emotions. 211 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:32,000 Each expression is poetically written in an elegant style that's helpful to the reader. 212 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:38,000 For each expressed title, motivates in a personal way, providing pure insight and introspection. 213 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:47,000 Having triumph over his own trauma and adversity, Dr. Andre Gerry has proven how powerful expressive writing can be to the healing process. 214 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:53,000 If you're feeling stuck in an emotional state that's keeping you from achieving your highest potential, 215 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:58,000 consider expressive writing as a tool to help identify and release negative thoughts. 216 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:05,000 Purchase your copy of Write or Die, Expressions of Life, Love and Loss, Volume 1 by Dr. Andre Gerry. 217 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:09,000 Available exclusively on Amazon and Kindle. 218 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:14,000 You're back live with Dr. Andre Gerry. 219 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:18,000 Hey, welcome back to live with Dr. Andre Gerry. 220 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:22,000 Listen, I'm so glad you stayed with us for the second half of the show. 221 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:30,000 We've been pulling back the layers on what I feel is a very important topic that's not being discussed in mainstream media. 222 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:47,000 And if you're just joining us, we've been discussing quiet quitting, which is the latest trend in the workplace that's essentially a huge backlash in response to the RTO or return to office movement that a majority of corporations in the U.S. have adopted. 223 00:28:47,000 --> 00:29:02,000 So just to recap, quiet quitting is when employees become emotionally detached from their work and do the absolute bare minimum that they can do without actually getting fired or written up. 224 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:13,000 Really, it's a form of protest that occurs when employees feel like they're undervalued or overworked or burned out. 225 00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:25,000 And in the first part of the show, we touched on some of the factors driving this behavior and overall, this is a phenomenon that's largely being spearheaded by Gen Z. 226 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:37,000 Millennials and Gen X or two, but mostly Gen Zers who are disillusioned with the RTO movement and the inflexible work schedules. 227 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:50,000 And companies that just aren't, I won't say catering to the needs of Gen Z, but just not putting forth their best effort to adapt to the changing demographic of the workplace. 228 00:29:50,000 --> 00:30:04,000 Companies like Dale have gone so far as to draw a line in the sand and force employees to classify as either remote or in the office and, oh, by the way, if you classify as remote, 229 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:10,000 you're no longer eligible for promotions or interoffice transfers. 230 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:18,000 So, you know, just really crappy policies being implemented that are designed to force people back into the office. 231 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:32,000 Instead of leadership taking a more proactive forward leaning approach and saying, you know, hey, our employees really seem to be responding positively to working remotely. 232 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:53,000 Let's see how we can expand that and perhaps, you know, come up with other options to other departments that can, you know, work remotely or maybe, you know, doing what some other companies have been doing recently and deploying a hybrid approach where employees come in two or three days a week. 233 00:30:53,000 --> 00:31:08,000 And that would be preferable to this current RTO movement where companies are requiring their employees to fully return back to the office after working remotely for two, almost three years. 234 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:11,000 You know, that's just not going to work. 235 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:16,000 First of all, I feel like it's too disorienting. 236 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:28,000 You know, if you're going to insist that employees fully return to the office after they've been teleworking for years, it has to be done in phases. 237 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:40,000 You know, have them come in two to three times a week for a while, maybe a year, and then eventually move back to a regular work schedule. 238 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:50,000 And, you know, at one point the DOD tried to permanently end the telework posture until they saw the backlash. 239 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:57,000 You know, those baby boomers, they said, you know what, this might be a good time for me to retire. 240 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:01,000 My investment portfolio is looking pretty good. 241 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:03,000 And I don't think I want to go back to work. 242 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:05,000 I don't think I want to go back to the office. 243 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:17,000 You know, so after the DOD leadership saw how many civilians were filing their retirement paperwork, they sort of eased up a bit with this stance on telework. 244 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:22,000 And, you know, you can say what you want about the baby boomers. 245 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:33,000 A lot of them are annoying to work with and kind of have antiquated and stubborn ways, but they possess a wealth of knowledge. 246 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:37,000 And historical information that you just can't get. 247 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:43,000 And it's still quite invaluable on the job, especially in my line of work. 248 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:48,000 I work in the defense sector and I work with various weapons systems. 249 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:58,000 And so these baby boomers that have been working for, you know, 30 plus years, they know the history behind those programs and the players who were involved. 250 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:07,000 And they can provide details that can help fill in the gap of knowledge that exists with some of the younger, less experienced workforce. 251 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:24,000 So to retain some of that knowledge, I feel like the DOD reassessed their approach to telework, which I think is a good thing, you know, because when we lose civilians who have 30 plus years of service, 252 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:33,000 they're taking all of that knowledge with them. And if you think they're leaving behind a continuity binder or folder, you can just forget it. 253 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:46,000 The knowledge is just gone. And whoever is their successor or successors, they're going to have to just kind of feel their way in the dark and figure it out the best they can. 254 00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:49,000 That's just how it is in government. 255 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:59,000 So anyway, before the break, I told you that I tell you a little bit about this new form of quiet quitting that's been going on lately. 256 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:12,000 It's called coffee badging. It actually sounds like some type of weird new sexual position, but obviously it's nothing like that. 257 00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:31,000 Okay, so coffee badging. And I just love how they give everything a name now. Coffee badging is this new trend where employees badge into the office just long enough to grab a cup of coffee, socialize with, you know, their co workers, be seen, 258 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:38,000 you know, stay for a couple of hours and then leave and go back home to work remotely. 259 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:44,000 Do you guys know anyone who's doing this? Are you doing this? 260 00:34:44,000 --> 00:35:00,000 Well, of course, I would never do something like this. I would. But yeah, it's a thing. And it's become a trend sort of as a protest against these mandatory in office work requirements that are coming out. 261 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:09,000 So it's kind of like this half past approach to work and checking the box to say, Oh, I was here today. I was in the office. 262 00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:21,000 You know, so when people are looking for you and they're like, Where's, where's Michelle? And you know, someone will be like, Well, I saw her talking to Todd in the break room or she was in the meeting earlier today. 263 00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:27,000 And by the time they realized they're gone, you know, it's three, four o'clock and no one cares. 264 00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:38,000 I'm only saying this is how I think people do it. I would never, of course, obviously I would not condone such a thing. But yeah, that's what coffee badging is. 265 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:46,000 So you learn something new today. Or maybe you got already knew about coffee badging and I'm the one that's late. Who knows. 266 00:35:46,000 --> 00:36:04,000 But anyway, so also told you I was going to tell you a little bit about my own experiences with quiet quitting. But I'm wondering, since I came back from the break, I was I was wondering how many people do I work with? 267 00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:07,000 Listen to my show. 268 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:14,000 Because you know, okay, so of course I'm grateful for every listener that tunes in to live with Dr. Andre. 269 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:26,000 But do you know I don't talk about my show at work at all? Like, no one at my job knows that I'm a radio show host. And if they do, they they haven't mentioned it to me. 270 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:36,000 So, because of the confidential nature of my work, I'm always cognizant of what topics I cover on my show and things that I say. 271 00:36:36,000 --> 00:36:52,000 But since we're on the topic of quiet quitting, you know, I can share with you that I can definitely relate to some of the reasons why so many people are quiet quitting. 272 00:36:52,000 --> 00:37:11,000 Okay, I can relate to burnout and being overworked and underappreciated. I can relate to being just overwhelmed and having to take what I call mental health days. 273 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:26,000 Yeah, sometimes I just take a day off in the middle of the week for no other reason than to get my mind right. You know, so I can relate. I can relate to being overlooked for my contributions to the company. 274 00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:33,000 I can relate to being devalued because of my contractor status. 275 00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:49,000 Yeah, that's that's a thing. And it happens a lot in the federal sector, you know, you'd be surprised at how contractors are treated by some civilian employees. 276 00:37:49,000 --> 00:38:03,000 That's definitely an upcoming episode, I think, you know, because it's a known issue and it flies under the radar. But I feel like it needs to be discussed in a public forum. 277 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:16,000 You know, so I just relate to all of this. I can definitely relate to having supervisors who don't like you and who work behind the scenes to block you from other opportunities. 278 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:30,000 But when you fully grasp and understand that no man, no woman, nobody can close a door that the Lord has opened for you. 279 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:45,000 You don't even have to let people like that phase you, you know, and you'll get to a point where you can just smile in their face and be cordial, even though you know they're stabbing you in the back left and right. 280 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:54,000 But yeah, what's what's for you is for you. So always remember that. And just like God can open doors that no man can close. 281 00:38:54,000 --> 00:39:04,000 He can also close doors that no man can open. It works both ways. You know, some some doors are just not meant for you to walk through. 282 00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:21,000 And it took me years to understand that. And when you get rejected for these jobs and for other opportunities that you apply for, even what appears like someone is being back stabbing. 283 00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:39,000 Just give thanks to God for his divine protection and thank him in advance for opportunities that are ahead opportunities that will put the one that you wanted so bad to shame to complete shame. 284 00:39:39,000 --> 00:40:01,000 But yeah, so I can relate to, you know, all of the quiet quitters and my heart goes out to them because I you know, I really understand how what could have once been a top performer could end up becoming someone who's disenchanted and callous at work. 285 00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:14,000 You know, they just no longer give a damn. They're just doing a bare minimum just to draw a check. I get it. You know, I've been there. 286 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:24,000 But I'm going to give you some old school, old school, unpopular advice that you probably don't want to hear. But while I have your attention, I'm going to give it to you anyway. 287 00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:35,000 And this is something I've had to remind my myself of recently. You're not doing it for them. 288 00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:51,000 You're not doing it for them. Colossians chapter three, verse 23, and whatsoever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men. 289 00:40:51,000 --> 00:40:58,000 Okay. So I know you're tired of that place. 290 00:40:58,000 --> 00:41:06,000 I know people try you and get on your nerves. I know they're not paying you what you deserve. 291 00:41:06,000 --> 00:41:13,000 And we all know that you were the best qualified applicant for that position. We know that. But you know what? Let them have it. 292 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:28,000 Let them have it. God has something greater for you. But don't mess it up by being just as nasty as some of them are. 293 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:39,000 You're better than that. Matter of fact, you're better than that place. You don't even belong there. You're just passing through. 294 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:50,000 And when you're gone, trust me, your absence will be felt. Okay. 295 00:41:50,000 --> 00:42:06,000 Okay. I don't know who that was for. But anyway, praise Jehovah. Praise Jehovah for giving me a mouth to speak and for giving me a platform to declare, you know, his goodness and his works to many lands. 296 00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:19,000 Hey, listen, guys, I really want to thank you so much for sharing your evening with me and for supporting this live radio broadcast and for supporting the artist radio, the artist first radio network. 297 00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:27,000 Really, I appreciate it. As always, it's my goal to leave you more informed than you were before the show. 298 00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:36,000 And if I inspired you or encouraged you, or even if I made you laugh, that's like totally a bonus for me. So thank you. 299 00:42:36,000 --> 00:42:50,000 And I invite you to check out some of our past shows, which are archived on our shows homepage at artistfirst.com slash Dr. Andre Jerry, artistfirst.com slash Dr. Andre Jerry. 300 00:42:50,000 --> 00:43:04,000 Or you can go to our YouTube channel, which is live with Dr. Andre and be sure to join us for our next live broadcast, which will air Wednesday, August 28th at 8pm Eastern. 301 00:43:04,000 --> 00:43:21,000 And of course, exclusively on the artist first radio network. Hey, good night, everybody. Thank you again. 302 00:43:34,000 --> 00:43:44,000 I'm going back to Saudi. 303 00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:15,000 I'm going back to Saudi. 304 00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:35,000 I'm going back to Saudi. 305 00:44:45,000 --> 00:44:55,000 If I meet a chic, I may never come home. Just give me a week. I just might show my camel toe. I'm going back to Saudi. 306 00:44:55,000 --> 00:45:01,000 Saudi, Saudi. I'm going back to Saudi. 307 00:45:01,000 --> 00:45:07,000 I'm going back to Saudi. Saudi, Saudi. I'm going back to Saudi. 308 00:45:07,000 --> 00:45:17,000 Saudi, Saudi.