Imagine walking into your office on a Monday morning and feeling like you’re stuck in a scene from “Groundhog Day.” The same tasks, the same faces, and the same uninspired atmosphere greet you day after day. Complacency in the workplace isn’t just a productivity killer—it’s a silent epidemic that drains creativity, morale, and innovation.
Workplace complacency happens for many reasons, such as boreout or burnout, but it can also happen after a company goes through a period of crisis. Once a goal is achieved and the company comes out successful, employees will express a collective sigh of relief. For some, this can manifest as complacency and stagnancy in their work.
com·pla·cen·cy
noun: complacency; noun: complacence
- A feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one’s achievements.
“The figures are better, but there are no grounds for complacency”
smugness, self-satisfaction, self-congratulation, self-regard.
What is complacency in the workplace?
Complacency in the workplace is a dangerous state that can hinder growth, innovation, and productivity. But beyond corporate complacency, there is also individual complacency.
Individual complacency has many sources: absence of a major and visible crisis; an abundance of visible resources; low overall performance standards; narrow functional goals for each employee; poor KPIs; lack of sufficient performance feedback (internally and externally); low confrontation culture; positive messaging out of line with reality.
Lately, stress can lead to complacency in the workplace. When employees are overwhelmed by high levels of stress, they may become disengaged or adopt a mindset or resignation. This can hinder their ability to think creatively, take risks and be innovative.
Addressing these sources of workplace complacency is crucial in order to make sure employees meet their full potential. By setting high performance standards, providing clear and meaningful feedback and recognition, and promoting a culture of open communication, leaders and companies can help to break complacent habits and inspire employees to strive for excellence.
What does complacency in the workplace look like?
Complacent employees are more likely to:
- Become Disengaged: Complacent employees may show signs of lack of interest or enthusiasm in their work. They may become passive or disinterested.
- Stop Thinking: Employees may stop using critical thinking and accept the status quo without questioning or seeking innovative solutions.
- Stop Taking Initiative: Employees may tend to avoid taking initiative or going above and beyond their assigned tasks. They may become content with just doing the bare minimum.
- Don’t Invest in Themselves: Employees may resist attending training programs, acquiring new skills, or seeking growth opportunities.
- No Longer Manage Their Personal Brand: Employees may no longer focus on building a positive image or showcasing their skills and accomplishments.
- Take Shortcuts: Complacent employees may choose shortcuts or take the path of least resistance, even if it compromises the quality of their work.
- Don’t Take Any Risks: Employees may be unwilling to step outside of their comfort zone and explore new possibilities or ventures.
- Lose Their Passion: Complacent employees may lose their drive and become apathetic towards their work and the company.
- Become Disgruntled with Their Current Career Destination: Unhappy employees are one of the biggest corporate culture killers an organization can have. Feeling stagnant leads to high turnover.
- Lose Any Hope for a Brighter Future: Complacency in the workplace erodes optimism and hope, and makes it unlikely the employee sees a bright future at your company or any company.
All of these factors add up to less innovation, less trust and psychological safety, and less loyalty. If turnover is on the rise, excitement is dwindling and your numbers are dropping, complacency may already have a strong hold on your team. Are you or your team members making decisions based on all the facts? Or, only to relieve a sense of anxiety.
How does complacency kill productivity?
When complacency takes over a workplace, employees become resistant to new ideas and unmotivated to try new ways to stay ahead of competitors. Without action, this resistance grows. Are you and your team being proactive or just reacting? True productivity shouldn’t mean constant busyness. Having a full schedule doesn’t always mean you’re productive. In fact, packed calendars can make everything feel urgent and hurt productivity.
“True urgency focuses on critical issues. It is driven by the deep determination to win, not anxiety about losing. Many people confuse it with false urgency. This misguided sense of urgency does have energized action, but it has a frantic aspect to it with people driven by anxiety and fear. This dysfunctional orientation prevents people from exploiting opportunities and addressing real issues.” – John P. Kotter
Urgency comes from having a bigger purpose aimed at making good things happen. Handling emergencies is just reacting to daily crises. False urgency causes stress and can harm our health if it happens too often.
8 Steps to Overcome Workplace Complacency
Don’t fret! All is not lost. You can re-engage your team in many ways. However, beware of pitfalls. Over 70% of all major transformation efforts fail because organizations do not take a holistic approach to change themselves.
Enter Kotter’s 8-Step Process for Leading Change:
1. Create a Sense of Urgency
Make people understand why change is needed right now. Show them the potential threats and opportunities to get them motivated to make a change.
2. Build a Guiding Collation
Form a group of influential and respected people who are committed to driving change. This team should have the power and credibility to lead the effort.
3. Form a Strategic Vision and Initiatives
Develop a clear vision of what the future looks like after the change and create a strategy to get there. This vision will guide everyone’s efforts and give everyone a common goal.
4. Enlist a Volunteer Army
Get a large group of people involved and excited about the change. The more people on board, the better the chances of success.
5. Enable Action by Removing Barriers
Identify and eliminate obstacles that are preventing people from making the change. This might include outdated processes, attitudes, or structures.
6. Generate Short-Term Wins
Create some quick, small successes to build momentum. These wins help people see that the change is working and encourage them to keep going.
7. Sustain Acceleration
Use the momentum from early wins to tackle bigger challenges. Keep pushing and making improvements, building on the success.
8. Institute Change
Make the changes stick by embedding them into the company culture. Ensure that the new ways of working are maintained by continually highlighting the connections between the new behaviors and the organization’s success.
How can team building help complacency in the workplace?
Complacency is a major issue for organizations and there are no quick fixes; however, there are many tools that can help you succeed. Enhancing your company culture with an infusion of team building and employee empowerment will boost your bottom line. Team building activities and events can play a vital role in addressing and overcoming complacency in the workplace. Here’s how:
- Fostering a Culture of Collaboration
- Enhancing Employee Engagement
- Promoting Open Communication
- Encouraging Healthy Competition
- Developing Trust and Camaraderie
- Encouraging Risk-Taking and Creativity
- Reinforcing Organizational Goals and Values
Team building events provide a powerful tool for combating workplace complacency. By bringing your team together to do things together outside of the typical work environment, it will create connections that help team members better understand each other and company goals.
In the face of complacency, organizations must create a positive workplace culture that strives for continuous improvement and empowers employees to pave the way for success. Understanding the meaning of complacency and how to overcome it is one of the most important things leaders can do to help create a healthier workplace environment. The best part, it’s never too late to start.
At TeamBonding, we have been helping companies with team recognition for 25+ years. We have a wide range of events that can help you build a better, stronger, and more connected team. So get in touch with us today and recognize your team!
