There is plenty of discussion happening around what is being called “The Great Resignation.” The impact of people not willing to work has a vast-reaching impact and implications on every aspect of life. We are all experiencing fractured supply chains, an understaffed service industry, and gaps in inventory, resulting in shortages around the world, just to name a few.
This disruption and rising inflation are causing severe emotional and financial stress, leading to anxiety for businesses and many of us at home. When will it end? That is a question no one can answer, with some experts believing that it will be around longer than we think — and whether that is a little longer or a lot longer.
What many businesses are experiencing that is worse than “The Great Resignation” is a tidal wave of complacency. When the pandemic began, both employers and employees were trying to figure out the whole remote work situation. In the beginning, there were struggles with working from home, and leaders were anxious because they felt work might not be getting done in the same capacity.
But within just a few short months, employees became extremely comfortable and grateful to be able to work from home, especially those who had difficult commutes.
The work-life balance began to get better for most of us. We became aware of the fact that we could decide to work when we wanted to work and take a few hours off and then return to our work in the evening. This strategy worked well for some, but it also created an opportunity for complacency for others. We would convince ourselves we would do the work later, and then later became tomorrow, and tomorrow became next week. We lost any sense of urgency that we may have had before.