Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Before we dive in today's episode, I want to take a moment to share something that's been on my heart, something I've been working on behind the scenes for a while now. I'm officially writing a book. This book is called let's Be A Practical Guide to Leading Through Change. And it's deeply personal to me. It's built from real experiences. The uncertainty, the challenges, the moments where I didn't have the answers but had to lead. This isn't just a leadership book filled with theory. It's about navigating uncertainty when there's no clear direction, building internal clarity when everything around us feels unclear, having courageous conversations, even when they're uncomfortable, and leading with value, especially when it's the hardest to do so. I'm also going into topics that don't get talked about enough, like what it feels like to be challenged, overlooked, and even bullied as an adult in a workplace. And how those moments shape the kind of leader you become. This book is for anyone who's ever thought, how do I lead when I don't feel ready? How do I show up when I don't have all the answers? And how do I stay true to myself in environments that challenge me? If this is you, this book is for you. I'll be sharing more about the journey behind the scenes moments and opportunities for you to be part of it as we go. So stay tuned because this is more than just a book. It's a movement around how we lead through change together. Alright, let's get to today's episode.
[00:01:25] Speaker B: Opinions expressed in this episode are personal. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this streaming platform.
[00:01:34] Speaker A: Good day, wonderful people, and welcome to another edition of let's Be Diverse. I am your host, Andrew Stout. This episode is dedicated to all my loved ones who supported me through this journey. Those who have left us will always be in our hearts and will never be forgotten. Today our topic is the silent resignation when employees stay with but disengage. Our guest today is one fabulous human. Her name is Cynthia Senigliero. Welcome to the show. Thank you for joining us, Cynthia.
[00:02:03] Speaker B: Thanks for having me, Andrew.
[00:02:04] Speaker A: You're very, very welcome. What's been energizing you these days, Cynthia? Give me the tea, give me the deets, give me it all. What's been going on?
[00:02:10] Speaker B: Yeah, so much. You know, I think, you know, having your own small business, in my opinion, is always exciting. I'm definitely an entrepreneur. I've been an entrepreneur for many years and it's the kind of situation where things are always Unfolding, you know, new things, exciting things. You know, just my business is going in a lot of different, exciting directions. So, yeah, I'm really happy with how things have been unfolding the past year or so.
[00:02:35] Speaker A: That's awesome. And it is exciting when you do see something that you've put so much hard work into to see it progress and grow. So that is. That's inspiring for not just others, but for yourself as well.
[00:02:47] Speaker B: Definitely, definitely. And I'm not going to say it's not a lot of hard work, because it is a lot of hard work, lots of persistence, but when you love what you're doing, it almost doesn't feel like work.
[00:02:57] Speaker A: Yeah, when you have passion for what you do, you do it with a smile on your face each day and it just makes it so much easier. I always talk about, even just this podcast, having these conversations people ask me all the time. It must be a lot of work for you. And I don't find having a conversation with people that I enjoy talking to, talking about stuff that I enjoy talking about. For me, it's not hard work. For me, it's fine.
[00:03:20] Speaker B: I can tell by the way, by the way you operate, Andrew.
[00:03:22] Speaker A: I appreciate that. Well, thank you so much for sharing how things are going. Glad that things are going well on your end. Didia, before we begin, I always have a fun, thought provoking question that I ask all my guests to get things going. Are you ready for yours today? Okay, so your question is, do you believe fate exists or are we entirely in control of what happens to us?
[00:03:45] Speaker B: Oh, that's such a good question, Andrew. Oh my gosh.
If I had to answer that, I think I would have to lean toward believing that fate exists.
[00:03:56] Speaker A: I think that's a great answer. I do think that things just happen to good people as well too. To get us started here, who are you and what drives you to do the work that you do?
[00:04:05] Speaker B: So I've been in the health and wellness field for over 25 years. My master's is in social work as well as business. So it's a dual kind of MBA, MSW4, where I focus on organizations. I'm looking at how people are basically faring in the organization. Are they stressed out? Are they burned out? How is leadership? How's communication, team building, how's the culture, all of those super important topics that many more corporate leaders and employers are focusing on. I also work one on one with individuals on a whole variety of topics that span body and mind as well as work with groups. I'm trained in mindfulness based stress for mbsr. So I'm leading groups for people who are struggling with a whole variety of mental health issues. I'm the owner and founder of Work well webinars. What we do is we design webinars for companies across the US on over 20 wellness topics that span body, mind and organization.
So everything from eating for longevity to dealing with corporate change, to lifestyle strategies for managing menopause. So I love what I do and I love educating people about how to live their life more fully and a healthier, happier way to basically thrive in this chaotic world we all live in.
[00:05:28] Speaker A: You're absolutely right. We living in a polarizing world today and there's lots going on and I think we have to understand that. And as leaders, I think we have to be a little bit more compassionate and sympathetic to what somebody could possibly be dealing with. And I think when we are, I think, and we're going to be talking about this today, engagement, I think if we do that, that then we're definitely going to find that people are going to be more engaged, not just the company, but the thing and the important things that we're trying to do in the organization.
[00:05:55] Speaker B: Definitely.
[00:05:56] Speaker A: Thanks for talking about yourself. So when you hear the term silent resignation, Cynthia, what does it really mean? And what are some of the early signs that an employee has emotionally checked out while still showing up to work?
[00:06:09] Speaker B: Yeah, such an important issue, right? Because this impacts the, the organization across so many levels. You know, when you think about silent resignation, I think many of us think about what happened with the pandemic, right? Employees basically became what people describe as silent, right. They, they just, I remember it being described as the quiet quitting. Right. So these are employees who basically are giving up in a sense. You know, they're not slamming their door, they're not yelling at their supervisor, they're not screaming at their colleagues, but they are basically checked out for work. They're not interested in what they're doing, they're not participating the way they used to. Maybe they're not showing their screen on those zoom calls when they used to always be that one that would be the first to communicate with his or her thoughts. It's basically kind of a issue that's happened over the past few years where employees just aren't performing and they're not as productive as they used to be.
[00:07:07] Speaker A: I think this conversation is coming up a lot more than it was like five, 10 years ago. I think that people put a label on it and now that we've put a label on it, then People are wondering, well, what's this label and why are we talking about this and what does it mean? I think when we do that, then we're having a little bit more understanding of what people could be thinking or what they could be going through. And then maybe we're going to take time to listen to people. For sure.
[00:07:31] Speaker B: For sure. I do a lot of work with leaders and managers, employees, and it's. It sometimes is surprising to me, you know, how many people report just feeling disconnected at work. I just read a study where over 60% of employees reported not feeling supported in their workplace. They described their workplace as a toxic environment.
So it's really unfortunate that many people just are not happy and satisfied with their workplace.
[00:08:00] Speaker A: Yeah. And I think people just want to be seen and heard. And when they're not seen and heard, well, then that's when I think it starts to. These things start to develop, for sure.
[00:08:10] Speaker B: So definitely on the flip side, I will say, Andrew, because I've been in the workplace wellness field for specifically workplace wellness for about 10 years. I spent about five years working for a workplace consulting firm called Organizational Wellness and Learning Systems owls and we designed a lot of trainings and basically interventions for employees who were struggling in the workplace.
So, you know, lots of trainings around leadership and empathy at work and really trying to look at that workplace to determine how can we make it a better situation for the employees for their mental health. Because there's been so many studies that have demonstrated that when employees are happier at work, when what I mean by happier, they're feeling more supported, they're feeling more like their teammates are supporting them, their manager supporting them, they're feeling energized, they're feeling like they're getting recognized for their work. They're not feeling like they're overworked. So there's a, you know, appropriate work life balance. When all those things are in check, employees are more productive, they're less apt to be absent at work, they're less apt to be sick at work, and they're more likely to stay at the company. So longevity increases and the bottom line improves. So there's a real business case behind the work that we're doing in terms of trying to improve the workplace for employees.
[00:09:30] Speaker A: So on that note, Cynthia, what role do leaders play in creating the conditions that either contribute to disengagement or inspire employees to remain connected, motivated and committed?
[00:09:41] Speaker B: Yeah, there's so much that leaders can do, Andrew, to try and achieve that kind of optimal work environment. And I guess I would start with first being present and what I mean by that is really observing what is going on with their employees. Give you a quick example. I was just talking with the owner of a small business last week and I asked him how his employees are doing and what's going on in the workplace. And he said, honestly, I'm not really sure. I've been so busy, I haven't really been talking to the employees. And I said, well, how are they? You have no idea how they're doing? And he said, no, I have managers who talk with them. And it just kind of made me aware of the fact that sometimes people are busy, you know, employers are busy and they forget to notice what's going on with their employees. So that I think is the first, the first step, really trying to notice, you know, are your employees showing those signs of burnout? Are employees maybe less productive than they used to, not communicating as much with their co workers, not showing up the way they used to, and just, you know, basically showing signs of what could be depression, anxiety, those kind of situations could be outside of the workplace as well. You know, many people will tell me that they need to spend more time really getting a sense as to how their employees are faring on a personal level as well. So that's kind of where I would start first, is making sure that leaders are really noticing their most important asset and that's their employees. I also would recommend that employers really try and walk the walk. So what I mean by that is the employer has to be a great example for the employees, meaning he or she really has to be careful about trying not to burn the candle at both ends. I was working with a manager who was telling me that he has a bad habit of often texting or calling his employees after hours. So Tuesday night, 7pm or even sending emails on weekends. And it was just kind of a work around the clock culture. And that isn't the best message for many employees. So I think really trying to make sure your leaders are actually walking the walk and talking the talk, so to speak, is a really important step as well.
[00:11:41] Speaker A: Yeah, I think the expectations are important. I've worked in companies where the manager stays later and they're always staying later and everyone's leaving, leaving, and they stay behind.
And then myself and others have thought, well, I kind of feel bad because they're staying and I have work or we have work that we need to do and maybe we should be staying too. But just because they're staying, it doesn't necessarily mean that you have to stay. That's what they're doing, they have stuff to do or they want to stay and do. That doesn't necessarily mean that you have to stay after hours to do stuff. Unless they've spoken to you and communicate with you saying, hey, listen, we need to finish this up. Does everybody mind staying an hour behind on Tuesday and we can all get together and finish this? Then that's communicated. Everybody will say yes or no or, yes, I'm available. But if it's assumed all the time, then it's not fun.
[00:12:36] Speaker B: No, definitely not. For sure.
[00:12:38] Speaker A: So many employees don't suddenly disengage overnight. In your experiences, what are some of the small moments or leadership behaviors that gradually cause someone to mostly disconnect from their work?
[00:12:51] Speaker B: Great question, Andrew. I think first would be just kind of not recognizing the employee in terms of, you know, what they're doing, their accomplishments. For instance, many times, as I just mentioned, the employers are busy managers, leaders are busy, and they may fail to recognize when their employee has just, for instance, completed a fantastic job on a very complicated project. So I think making sure that the employer is recognizing the employee so he or she does not become burned out. When I do focus groups and interviews with employees around this topic, many of them will say that when their employer is not recognizing them and really noticing when they're kind of going over the expectations, it's a very disheartening experience. People become very frustrated and the first reaction often is that they want to leave. So turnover increases and it can be a real issue for the employer.
[00:13:49] Speaker A: I will say that there's a lot of recruiters out there who. Not that they're hoping that things don't go well with a company, but they're looking for people to fill certain positions. So if it's not going well for you in one spot, they're going to be. They're going to want to speak to you because they probably have something that would fit what you're trying to do. So it's a game for them for sure. So if things are going well, then you're not going to want to have that conversation with that recruiter. But if it's not going well, then you're going to be open to hearing what they have to say.
[00:14:19] Speaker B: Exactly. Because you don't feel supported at work. And that's something that the company that I worked for did quite well, is we did kudos at the start of every meeting. So just a quick kudos for one of our teammates if they maybe did something that's kind of above and beyond just a way to recognize. And I think employees really appreciate that a lot. The other thing we really recommend to leaders and managers and owners is to make sure that communication is there when a lot of the companies that we're working with are going through downsize, reorgs. And it's super important to make sure that the employees also feel involved so that employees can become kind of part of the decision and they don't feel like all these changes are going on and they don't understand why, when, how, where this is all going to happen. So that's something else that we really encourage leaders to really try and pay attention to.
[00:15:12] Speaker A: Yeah, it doesn't matter who we are or what we do. We all want a seat at the table and we all want to feel like, like that is important or deceit is important to us. So.
[00:15:20] Speaker B: Yeah, definitely.
[00:15:22] Speaker A: So for leaders who recognize disengagement within their teams, what practical conversations and actions can they take to rebuild trust, reignite motivation, and reconnect employees with their work?
[00:15:35] Speaker B: Yeah, I think to start with having those conversations first, having that one on one conversation, it can be a difficult conversation because sometimes it's unclear as to what exactly is going on. There could be personal issues, there could be issues with teammates, there could be issues with the manager, There's a whole variety of topics. But at the same time, I think just to start that conversation first is super, super important and just communicating the importance of the employee to the employees. You know, making sure employees understand how much senior management hopefully values them. And employers can do that in many different ways. It could be by trying to create flexible work environments. For instance, if one of my co workers, for instance, has been dealing with some personal issues with his mother. So the leader of the company said to him, what? Let's try and give you more of a flexible work environment for the next couple of months so you can take care of your mother as she's dealing with her medical issues. And employees really appreciate that. So just kind of taking a little bit more of a personal side when dealing with employees can be so helpful with really keeping that motivation going with the employees. I think also making sure that the employer is really trying to give the employee what he or she needs in terms of training. We want employees to feel like they're continually growing and learning in their profession. That's one of the main reasons why employees do go to a different company, because they're not feeling that they're first being valued like we just talked about, but also that they're not being given growth opportunities in order to move, move forward. So making sure that you're providing that to your employees can be very helpful as well.
[00:17:15] Speaker A: Those skills and the training if you're a loyal employee. Most people are not taking a job with a company to work with for six months. They're looking to work their long term.
[00:17:26] Speaker B: One of the topics I present about quite often is empathy at work. Super interesting topic. It's getting a lot more attention than it ever has, and that's the power of the empathetic leader and how empathy can actually significantly improve the organization for so, so many reasons. And I love to dive deeper in that topic. We just don't have the time. But this whole concept of how empathy can be a real positive strategy for leading and how the employer can kind of cultivate an empathic culture. Super interesting in my opinion.
[00:17:59] Speaker A: Oh, for sure. I'd love to have a conversation, hear more about that because I'm sure there's lots of aspects to that, for sure. So before we wrap up here, Cynthia, what is one key takeaway that you'd like our listeners to remember from this episode?
[00:18:14] Speaker B: I really just hope that people realize that the work environment is a very powerful place. And what I mean by that is we spend a lot of hours of our life in the workplace. Right. Many of us are working many, many hours. It's a large part of who we are and a large part of our identity. So it's really important to look at the workplace and try to determine if perhaps it could be a better environment. What I mean by that is really trying to address the culture. Is this a culture that is one that is supportive of the employee and how can it be tweaked and changed and altered to be more supportive of employees to improve their mental health as well as their physical health? We have a lot of employees who report headaches, stomach aches, problem sleeping, everything else due to a toxic work environment. And making those changes, like we mentioned a couple of minutes ago, can lead to greater productivity and many, many improvements for the organization. So the workplace, in my opinion, is a very important kind of structure, if you will, to look at and to assess.
[00:19:19] Speaker A: Yeah, we want to have that environment where it's safe and we're happy to go to on a regular basis. And we love what we're doing and we love the people around us and we love our leaders. And that's important. Yes, there's going to be some things that you're not going to like about your job. That's inevitable.
But we want to make sure that it's engaging and fun and comfortable and safe for everyone.
[00:19:38] Speaker B: So true.
[00:19:39] Speaker A: My call to action would be to like, share and follow this episode. Cynthia, I wanted to take the time to thank you for coming on today. Some of the things that I admire about you is your ability to face challenges, your heart, your inspiring nature, your devotion to your passion and everything that you do, and your absolute magnetic energy. It has been such a pleasure to have a conversation with you today and have you joining us. Thank you for your time today.
[00:20:05] Speaker B: Thank you so much Andrew. I really appreciate that. It's been a pleasure to be on, so thank you for having me and I absolutely love your podcast.
[00:20:13] Speaker A: We appreciate that. On behalf of myself and my guest Cynthia, I'd like to thank you all for listening today and until next time, be safe and remember everyone, if we all work together, we can accomplish anything
[00:20:27] Speaker B: you have been listening to. Let's be Diverse with Andrew Stout to stay up to date with future content, hit Subscribe.
