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Move over quiet quitting, bare minimum Mondays, and career cushioning. A new workplace behavior is on the rise: the self-aware underperformer. Contrary to hustle culture, these workers are knowingly underperforming and not doing anything about it. It used to be the delusional underperformerthe employee who thought they were doing a great jobthat gave HR headaches. The self-aware underperformer, on the other hand, is aware that theyre underperforming and not taking any actions to rectify it. As leaders, this isnt something you can afford to ignore. After all, underperformance doesnt just materialize. The culture has been brewing and cultivating on our watch. Unfortunately, far too many companies prioritize optics over results, turn to placating instead of coaching, and compensate instead of addressing. In some cases, theyve repurposed authenticity and transparency (both of which are positive attributes) to serve as convenient excuses. This dynamic leads to the self-aware underperformer. Many have hailed self-awareness as the holy grail of performance. Its often tied to superior decision-making, enhanced team dynamics, and thriving leadership behavior. Despite the admissions, true self-awareness appears to be in short supply. According to a 2018 article by Harvard Business Review, 95% of people think theyre self-aware, yet only 10% to 15% actually are. This is the confronting dilemma. The perceived claim of awareness without the change is a disguise for the underperformers illusion of responsibility. It feels like accountability. Yet when employees repeatedly demonstrate awareness, apologies, and empathy but fail to change, its no longer just their performance that suffers. Here are five signs you are working with a self-aware underperformer 1. Underperformance as an identity These employees wear their underperformance like a badge. They deliver the bare minimum. Previously, people would have seen their behavior as complacent. Now, theyve reframed it as a kind of delusional authenticity. “I know I might not be the best, but Im steady.” By leaning into this identity, they transform underperformance into their personal brand. As a leader, you need to separate awareness from accountability. Remember, awareness isnt a deliverable. A useful response is, “Thanks for raising that. Whats your plan to fix it this week?” This keeps the conversation future-focused and signals that its not enough for them to recognize theyre underperforming. 2. Self-deprecation Some employees deflect by making light of their shortcomings. They might say the following statement with a smile or a joke. “You know Im hopeless at numbers.” They disarm criticism. Managers might even laugh along. But six months later, the reports continue to be late. What feels like humility in the moment is a shield that protects a lackluster effort to improve. To address this, anchor evaluations to progress, not personality. Self-aware underperformers often rely on charm, humility, or likability. That means grounding assessments to measurable outcomes. What matters is not how self-aware they appear, but whether their output improves quarter to quarter. 3. Passively reframing underperformance as a moral issue They position self-awareness as a conscious decision to reject the hustle culture. They might make excuses like “why should I extend myself?” or “were not saving lives. They might champion underperformance as a moral cause. Tackling this attitude requires managers to raise the bar on that employees comfort zone. If someone openly settles for less, its on you as a leader to decide whether thats an acceptable plateau. In high-expectation roles and cultures, make clear that comfort is not a contract. Performance standards exist for a reason, and you cant suspend them simply because someone is candid about not aspiring higher. 4. Your narrative becomes theirs You want to be “that supportive manager.” In the beginning, you might be patient and give them the benefit of the doubt. “They are still coming up to speed,” or “they need more training, resources, and help.” But there comes a point when it becomes over-accommodating. You might find yourself allocating their work to others, extending deadlines, and making continual allowances. Before you know it, their performance is no longer their responsibility, but yours. You need to interrupt the rationalization loop. Shift the discussion from causes to choices. Ask, “Given these constraints, what can you still control and improve?” This reframes the narrative from circumstance to agency, which puts responsibility back in the employees hands. 5. An abundance of excuses Self-aware underperformers rarely run out of explanations: outdated systems, shifting market trends, and unclear mandates. These rationalizations are often factually correct, but function as shields. Rather than moving from problem to solution, employees stay stuck in the narrative of why things couldnt be done. When they appear to show empathy, it becomes harder to confront. “I know this must be frustrating for the team, and I really appreciate everyones patience.” Its a clever move because its a neat redirect away from the issue. Instead, redefine empathy as action. Empathy is valuable only when it translates into behavioural change. Encourage employees to pair recognition with repair. “Youve named the impact on the team, now lets agree on what youll do differently.” The real leadership test isnt spotting underperformance. As leaders, you need to see through the packaging of awareness without improvement. Awareness without change is simply underperformance in more eloquent clothing. The best leaders know how to thank people for their honesty, and then hold them to the change that honesty demands.
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E-Commerce
Camping. Why anyone would put themselves through an odyssey of gross insects and pooping in holes is beyond me, but you do you, Steve. I’ll do me. However, if I were forced to go sleep in the woods, I would like to use this new camping mattress by Chinese sleep startup Mazzu created in collaboration with London-based design studio Layer. It looks like the closest thing to a Four Seasons bed this side of the Rio Grande. Or any río (just don’t get me close to a river). [Image: courtesy Layer] The Mazzu Camping Mattress isn’t your typical inflatable pad that promises comfort on-the-go but delivers back pain for a week. It’s built around 72 precision-engineered elastic spring unitspre-compressed coils encased in durable jackets that adapt independently to your body’s contours. Each unit flexes on its own, providing ergonomic support whether you’re lying flat or curled up on your side (you know, like in an actual bed). [Photo: courtesy Layer] Layer tells me via email that people want “the comfort of home when they’re outdoors, and traditional inflatable or foam mats just don’t deliver that.” Which, yes, that’s exactly my point. The company says conventional options are bulky, unreliable, or simply uncomfortable. And many are unsustainable. Layer and Mazzu saw a clear gap to create a sustainable, portable system that offers bed-like comfort without compromise, bringing “a real sense of restfulness to the camping experience.” [Photo: courtesy Layer] Come together, right now The collaboration between Layer and Mazzu wasn’t just about slapping springs into a camping format. Mazzus engineers have been developing elastic spring technology since they started their sleep company in Fujian, China, in 2024. Layer worked closely with Mazzu to translate that into a modular outdoor system. The design studio says there were many rounds of prototypingexploring different spring densities, connection systems, and layoutsuntil they arrived at something simple and robust that’s also intuitive to use. [Photo: courtesy Layer] The pieces click together like Lego bricks and are secured with a strong cord. When the mattress base is assembled, you add a thin, 100% cotton cushion on top to smooth everything out. Layer tells me it gets assembled “in just a matter of minutes,” and you can be set up and ready to rest almost as quickly as rolling out a standard mat, “but with a completely different sleep experience.” The other advantage of this design, the company points out, is that its not harmful to the planet. Layer says the portable coils structure is built without foam or glue (Mazzu, however, points out that the pad on top uses polyester fiber and high-resilience polyurethane). Layer says the mattress is built to last: “Every component can be replaced, repaired, or upgraded individually, which extends its lifespan and reduces wastesomething that’s very rare in camping gear.” [Photo: courtesy Layer] Packed in a cooler The complete mattressincluding foldable base, spring modules, and topperpacks into a wheeled case no larger than a cooler. Once emptied, Layer says, that case doubles as a nightstand or storage box at the campsite. So it’s not just about better sleep, the company says, it’s about circularity and smart use of space. The color palette takes cues from outdoor gear: foliage tones and bright accents for visibility. The open structure showcases the engineering inside, which I appreciate(if I’m paying for 72 independent spring units, I want to see them). The Mazzu Camping Mattress launches this month. Pricing in China is about 2,259 yuan (about $320), but no official price has been announced internationally. If it actually delivers on the promise of bringing regular mattress comfort into the wilderness, it might be worth whatever they’re charging. Maybe then I’ll consider camping. (LOL! No.)
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E-Commerce
The Trump administration is spending more than half a billion dollars to help prop up the dying coal industry. Its also weakening pollution regulations and opening up more federal land to coal mining. All of this isnt likely to save the industryand also isnt likely to do much to meet the surging demand for power from data centers for AI. Coal power is expensive, and that isnt going to change Aging coal power plants are now so expensive to run that hundreds have retired over the last decade, including around 100 that retired or made plans to retire during Trumps first term. Offering relatively small subsidies isnt likely to change the long-term trend. I dont think its going to change the underlying economics, says Michelle Solomon, a manager in the electricity program at the think tank Energy Innovation. The reasons why coal has increased in cost will continue to be fundamentally true. The cost of coal power grew 28% between 2021 and 2024, or more than double the rate of inflation. One reason is age: the average coal power plant in the U.S. is around 50 years old, and they arent designed to last much longer. Because renewable energy is cheaper, and regulation is likely to ramp up in the future, investors dont see building new coal power plants as viable. But trying to keep outdated plants running also doesnt make economic sense. The new funding cant go very far. The Department of Energy plans to spend $625 million on coal projects, including $350 million to recommission and retrofit old plants. Another $25 million is set aside for retrofitting coal plants with natural gas co-firing systems. But that type of project can cost hundreds of millions or even a billion dollars for a single plant. (The $25 million, presumably, might only cover planning or a small pilot.) Other retrofits might only extend the life of a power plant by a few years. Because the plants will continue to be expensive to run, some power plant owners may not think the subsidies are worth it. Utilities want to move on If coal power plants keep running past their retirement age, even with some retrofits, costs keep going up for consumers. Thats something that you really see in states that continue to rely on coal for a big part of their electricity mix, says Solomon. Like Kentucky and West Virginia, who have had their cost for power increase at some of the fastest rates in the country. In Michigan, earlier this year, the DOE forced a coal power plant to stay open after it was scheduled to retire. The DOE cited an emergency, though neither the grid operator nor the utility said that there were power supply issues; the planned retirement of the plant included building new sources of energy to replace it. The utility reported to the SEC that within the first 38 days, alone, it spent $29 million to keep the plant running. (The emergency order is still in place, and being challenged by multiple lawsuits.) The extra expense shows up on consumers bills. One report estimates that by 2028, efforts to keep large power plants from retiring could cost consumers more than $3 billion a year. Utilities have long acknowledged the reality that there are less expensive energy sources. In the first Trump administration, in 2018, utilities resisted Trump’s attempts to use emergency powers to keep uneconomic coal plants open. When utilities plan to retire a power plant, there’s a long planning process. Plants begin making decision to defer maintenance that would otherwise be necessary. And many won’t want to reverse their decisions. It’s true that demand for power from data centers has led some utilities to keep coal plants online longerand electric bills are already soaring in areas near large data centers. But Trump’s incentives may not make much difference for others. The last coal plant in New England just shut down years early, despite the current outlook for data centers. “Utilities do have to take a long-term view,” says Lori Bird, director of the U.S. energy program at the nonprofit World Resources Institute. “They’re doing multi-year planning. So they consider the durability and economic viability of these assets over the longer term. They have not been economic, and they’re also the highest-emitting greenhouse gas facilities.” Even if the Trump administration has rolled back environmental regulations, she says, future administrations could reverse that; continuing to use coal is a risky proposition. In most states, utilities also have to comply with renewable power goals. There are better solutions It’s true that the U.S. needs more power generation, quickly. It’s not clear exactly how much new electricity will be neededsome of that will depend on how much AI is a bubble and how much tech companies can shrink their power usage at data centers. But the nonprofit Rewiring America calculated that data centers that are under construction or in planning could add 93 gigawatts of electricity demand to the U.S. grid by the end of the decade. The nonprofit argues that some or even all of that new capacity could be covered by rooftop solar and batteries at homes. Cheap utility-scale renewable power plants could obviously also help, though the Trump administration is actively fighting them. Battery storage can help provide 24/7 energy. One analysis of a retiring coal plant in Maryland found that it would be less expensive to replace it with batteries and transmission upgrades than to keep it running. Temporarily saving a handful of coal power plants won’t cover the new power needs. It would add to air pollution, water pollution, and climate pollution. And it would significantly push up power bills when consumers are already strugglin. Real support for an “energy emergency” would include faster permitting and other work to accelerate building affordable renewable energy, experts say. “Making sure that resources can compete openly is really important,” says Solomon. “It’s important to not only meet the demand from AI, but make sure that it doesn’t raise costs for electricity consumers.”
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E-Commerce
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