Is Your Team Quiet Quitting? 5 Uncomfortable Signs You’re Missing

Have you ever noticed your team doing just enough to get by,but no more, and wondered what’s really going on beneath the surface?

In this episode I dive into a challenge that’s been quietlyundermining teams across the industry, quiet quitting.

This isn’t about people storming off the job or shouting atsite meetings. It’s more insidious. It's about good team members gradually disengaging, mentally checking out while physically staying on site.

I break down five subtle but dangerous signs of quietquitting, from a lack of curiosity about the future to passive negativity that lingers in the air. I’ve seen team members go from proactive and passionate to withdrawn and indifferent, and often, it's not because they’re bad workers, but because the environment doesn’t inspire them anymore.

Quiet quitting doesn’t just damage morale, it hits yourbottom line. Slower jobs. More rework. Lower margins. Less innovation. And yet, it often goes unaddressed because it’s not visible on a spreadsheet.

But here's the good news; it is fixable.

I walk through a toolkit of leadership strategies that havehelped me turn disengaged teams into high-performing powerhouses. It starts with something simple but powerful: real conversations. Not just about tasks, but about people, what drives them, what frustrates them, and how we can align their values with our mission.

I explore how recognising effort, encouraging ownership, and leading with humility can reignite purpose in your team.

Finally, I share how setting a compelling vision, one that’sgrounded in shared values, can inspire people to lean in rather than check out.

If you’ve sensed something’s "off" with your teambut haven’t been able to put your finger on it, this episode will help you diagnose and turn it around.

5 Signs of Quiet Quitting:

1. No pushback in meetings — Silence may mean disengagement,not agreement.
2. Only doing what’s asked — No extra effort, no proactiveproblem-solving.
3. Avoiding ownership — People say “not my job” and shiftresponsibility.
4. Passive aggression — Eye-rolls, sarcasm, or low-levelnegativity.
5. No curiosity about the future — Lack of interest intraining, promotions or upcoming projects.

Fixes Managers Can Use to Turn It Around:

• Have meaningful, non-task-focused conversations
• Recognise and reward extra effort
• Give people ownership and control over outcomes
• Lead with humility and show vulnerability
• Stay open to feedback and model curiosity
• Set a clear, value-driven vision for the future

Timestamps:

• 00:52 — What is quiet quitting?
• 01:21 — 5 uncomfortable signs of quiet quitting
• 03:45 — The hidden costs of disengagement
• 04:30 — Start with real conversations
• 04:58 — Recognise effort and give ownership
• 05:28 — Lead with humility and accept mistakes
• 06:24 — Connect values to vision to re-engage teams
• 07:24 — Final thoughts and next steps

Keywords:

Quiet quitting in construction, Employee disengagement signs, Leadership in construction, Boosting team moraleconstruction, How to re-engage employees, Recognising quiet quitting, Fixing construction team culture, Improving construction site leadership, Leadership podcast UK, Construction management tips,

Links:

• Free guide: "10 Quick Steps to Turn Disengaged Employees Into Production Machines"
  https://linktr.ee/michaelfisher88