18/09/2025

THURSDAY | SEPT 18, 2025

11

Addressing Gen Z’s ‘quiet cracking’ L ATELY, a new workplace trend has been making headlines: quiet cracking. Unlike quiet quitting, which is often a deliberate disengagement, quiet cracking is more subtle and more dangerous. COMMENT by Elman Mustafa El Bakri

asking for connection. In a world that is increasingly automated and impersonal, they are craving meaning and belonging. If we cannot offer that, they will disengage – sometimes quietly, sometimes permanently. So, what can we do? For starters, let us bring back Carnegie, not as a seminar but as a practice. Start conversations with sincerity and respect, personalise your approach, listen actively without rushing to respond, offer thoughtful feedback in place of criticism and acknowledge contributions genuinely. When you ask how someone is doing, take the time to listen to the answer. On a systems level, employers should invest in communication training, not just technical upskilling. Equip managers to identify emotional signals and respond with empathy. Foster a culture where psychological safety is not just a concept but a daily practice. Ensure feedback flows in all directions – from leaders to teams, and just as importantly, from teams back to leaders. To be clear, communication won’t solve everything but it is a powerful starting point. When people feel genuinely heard at work, challenges won’t compound in silence; they begin to resolve through understanding. To the young professionals out there who feel like they are quietly cracking, know this: you are not weak for feeling stuck; you are human. But you owe it to yourself to reach out, speak up and seek out leaders who will listen. Not all workplaces are created equal and you deserve to grow in one that sees you fully. If the last few years have taught us anything, it is that performance without presence is not sustainable. In the end, people don’t burn out because they are working too hard; they burn out because they feel like they don’t matter. We already have the tools to address this. What is needed now is the will to use them. Not with ping pong tables or wellness slogans but with better conversations. Open communication strengthens trust, and trust is what truly sustains leadership. ElmanMustafa El Bakri is CEO and founder of HESA Healthcare Recruitment Agency and serves on the Industrial Advisory Panel for the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Universiti Malaya. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

It describes employees who are still clocking in, replying to emails and delivering results but emotionally and mentally, they are hanging by a thread. According to recent reports, more than half of employees globally are experiencing some form of quiet cracking. Among Gen Z, that number jumps to 72%. These are young professionals showing up to work while silently struggling – often unseen and unheard – until performance drops, motivation fades, or worse, they leave without warning. The estimated global productivity cost? US$438 billion (RM1.84 trillion) annually. As someone who works closely with employers and young talent, I am not surprised by the numbers but I am concerned by how little we are doing to address the root issue. Because if we are being honest, the warning signs have always been there. They just weren’t loud enough to trigger immediate change. What is behind this silent crisis? Some of it is structural: job insecurity, limited growth opportunities and the anxiety of navigating AI disruption. But much of it comes down to something even more basic – a breakdown in communication. In workplaces where people do not feel heard, appreciated or even noticed, it doesn’t take long before disengagement creeps in. When young employees are afraid to speak up – afraid that voicing concerns will make them look weak, ungrateful or replaceable – they don’t complain; they crack. This is where we need to revisit something we often treat as “soft skills” but which, in reality, are anything but soft: communication. More than a century ago, Dale Carnegie laid out a framework for human connection that still holds up today. His timeless advice: be a good listener, show sincere appreciation, avoid criticism and understand others’

When people feel genuinely heard at work, challenges won’t compound in silence; they begin to resolve through understanding. – REUTERSPIC

just complete another task on autopilot. This is not just about being “nice”; it is about being effective. When people feel seen and supported, they bring more of themselves to work. They become more engaged, more invested and more likely to grow with the organisation. Unfortunately, too many leaders are still stuck in outdated models, managing by metrics, not relationships. They hold one-on ones to track performance without understanding what is affecting it. They give feedback but forget to ask for it. They talk but rarely listen. It is easy to dismiss all this as generational sensitivity but we need to realise something, Gen Z are not asking for coddling; they are

perspectives. Sounds simple but in a high pressure, KPI-driven workplace, it is often the first thing we forget. I would argue that Carnegie’s approach is exactly what today’s managers and executives need to rediscover. Communication is not just about sending instructions or providing updates; it is also about building trust. In today’s workplace, trust is what keeps teams engaged, especially when things get tough. If you lead a team, you don’t need to be a therapist or motivational speaker; you need to create a space where people can feel safe being honest – where a junior employee can say, “I am overwhelmed”, without fear of judgement or where someone struggling with direction feels it is okay to ask for clarity, not

Getting the pitch right: Fine-tuning marketing strategies

intentional in how they approach pitches. The conversations are starting to shift from frustration to forward momentum. Path forward This is not about adding red tape; it is about reducing the friction that slows down good work. When expectations are clear, when IP is respected and when timelines are realistic, everyone involved can do better and more meaningful work. In a landscape where agility, integration and speed matter more than ever, improving the pitch process is not a peripheral fix; it is fundamental. Because how a relationship begins often sets the tone for everything that follows. If we want more strategic, enduring partnerships – the kind that solve real problems, build real value and raise the bar for the industry – we need to get the first step right. Media Specialists Association supports media agencies providing research, planning, negotiation and placement services. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

deliverables and a lack of transparency around selection criteria or budgets. In parallel, advertisers are under pressure to deliver results, often within procurement frameworks that prioritise cost over strategic fit. Without a shared foundation, both sides default to reactive behaviours: rushed timelines, overworked teams and decisions made on incomplete information. The cost isn’t just operational; it is strategic. When pitches are treated as one-off transactions rather than the gateway to long-term collaboration, we risk undervaluing the very qualities, insight, creativity and agility that make agency partnerships effective. While large agencies may absorb the impact, smaller, independent firms are disproportionately affected, potentially narrowing the diversity and innovation within the ecosystem. Rebuilding on shared ground If the pitch is meant to be the beginning of a partnership, then the way we approach that beginning matters. That is what the 2025 Media Pitch Guidelines aim to address – not through mandates but through a

shift in mindset. By setting expectations early around timelines, scopes and intellectual property, the guidelines invite advertisers and agencies to start from a place of clarity rather than guesswork. They are not about tightening control but about restoring a foundation that allows strategy, creativity and mutual respect to take root. It is not about blame but what comes next Improving the pitch process is not about pointing fingers. Many of the challenges we see today were not born out of bad intent. They stem from entrenched habits and systems that have gone unquestioned for too long. The guidelines are not a cure-all but they represent a step in the right direction. They provide a shared reference point for better conversations, more thoughtful engagement. We are already seeing early signals of change. Some advertisers are beginning to incorporate the principles into their briefs. Agencies, too, are becoming more selective and

COMMENT

“By setting expectations early around timelines,

THE pitch process was once a catalyst for collaboration – a chance for agencies and advertisers to align around a shared vision, tackle real business challenges and forge lasting partnerships. But somewhere along the way, that promise has faded. What should be an energising kickoff has too often devolved into a source of strain, inefficiency and frustration for both sides. This breakdown is not due to bad faith; it is the result of systems and habits that no longer reflect the complexity of today’s marketing landscape. With tighter budgets, more touchpoints and greater demand for measurable impact, the stakes in every pitch get higher, yet the process itself has not kept pace. Real cost of misalignment The reality many agencies face today includes briefs with unclear objectives, short lead times for complex

scopes and intellectual property, the

guidelines invite advertisers and agencies to start from a place of clarity rather than guesswork.