You’ve probably heard the term “quiet quitting.” It made headlines over the last few years, sparked debates, and gave voice to a generation of workers reevaluating their relationship with work. But what’s happening now in workplaces everywhere is even quieter and arguably more disruptive to morale and the mission.
It’s called quiet cracking and it can erode the foundation of high-performance, focus and innovation.
Unlike quiet quitting, quiet cracking isn’t just about disengaging entirely.
It’s about showing up, doing the job, and slowly unraveling inside. It’s the accumulation of unspoken frustrations, missed opportunities, and emotional fatigue. It’s the team member who’s always “fine,” but hasn’t contributed a new idea in months. It’s the high performer who’s stopped raising their hand. It’s the leader who’s lost their spark but keeps pushing through.
And it’s happening across industries—and especially in the public sector, amidst rapid change, transformation, and restructuring of organizations.
The Public Sector Pressure Cooker
Government workplaces are navigating a perfect storm:
- Rapid policy shifts amidst fewer resources
- Workplace policy transitions and relocations
- Talent shortages and reductions
- Rising public expectations and low trust
- And yes, the lingering effects of unmanaged stress leading to burnout.
In this environment, quiet cracking doesn’t just affect individuals—it ripples across teams, programs, and missions. When culture erodes, competence suffers. When purpose fades, capability stalls. And when we ignore the cracks, we risk losing the very people we need to drive innovation and impact.
A recent Gallup report found that 52% of employees in US workplaces are not engaged, and 17% are actively disengaged. That’s not just an early career/Gen Z issue—it’s pervasive across all levels, from frontline workers to senior leaders.
And in today’s workplace, those serving on the frontlines are feeling the cracks even more. According to the Frontline Gap Report by Workvivo, which surveyed over 7,500 frontline employees across industries:
- 87% aren’t confident there’s a clear path forward at their current organization.
- 49% feel they have a bigger impact than their office colleagues—but aren’t recognized for it.
- 38% have feedback they want to share with leadership but have no way to share it.
These findings matter deeply in government organizations, where the majority of the workforce operates outside of headquarters—often in high-stakes, high-touch environments.
From social services to emergency response, these are the professionals who interact directly with the public, uphold policy, and deliver on mission. And yet, they’re often left out of culture-building efforts, strategic communications, and career development pathways.
When frontline workers feel disconnected, undervalued, or unheard, quiet cracking becomes inevitable. And in the public sector, that erosion of engagement doesn’t just impact morale—it affects service delivery, trust in institutions, and the ability to innovate from the ground up.
What Next-Gen Readiness Really Means
We talk a lot about future-proofing the workforce. But readiness isn’t just about technical skills or digital fluency. It starts with building and cultivating teams that are:
- Mission-driven enough to stay anchored in purpose, even amid change.
- Competent and confident enough to adapt, learn, and lead through ambiguity.
- Emotionally Intelligent and socially aware enough to collaborate across generations, backgrounds, and belief systems.
That’s why we’re hosting a webinar on August 21st called:
Next-Gen Readiness: Navigating Culture, Competence, and Capability for Public Impact. It’s part of our Community Conversation with Cornerstone series, and it’s designed for HR practitioners, L&D leaders, and anyone committed to reshaping the future of work.
We will explore how to spot quiet cracking before it spreads, how to build high-performing teams that thrive in complexity, and how to rethink recruitment, leadership, and development for a new era.
Future Focused
If you cannot make the webinar, don’t worry—this conversation continues at the Federal Innovation Summit on October 23, where we’ll go even deeper into these topics with both in-person and virtual options.
Because the truth is, quiet cracking isn’t going away on its own. It’s up to us, as leaders, practitioners, and contributors, to name it, address it, and build workplaces where people don’t just survive, they grow, connect, and lead.
Join us to prepare for what’s next, share lessons learned and promising practices across our workplaces. Together.
