
There’s been commentary coming out of the USA about ‘The Great Resignation’ that is happening as a result of the pandemic enforced changes of the last two years; but what is happening in Australian workplace culture and how are we specifically going to need to adapt our leadership?
The premise of the conversation is that workers have a renewed focus on what’s most important in life. They are focussed now on what is important to them, their time, their wellbeing and on things that enrich their lives. This is leading people to quit their jobs in droves; to switch employers in the search for better working conditions and better bosses. A poor relationship with your manager, and lack of respect for them, is one of the leading reasons people leave a job they would otherwise enjoy (A Gallup poll of 7000 people reported 50% of them as having quit a job due to disliking their direct manager).
In the Australian context, the labour market has numerous external environmental factors that, in my opinion, are building to contribute to the ‘Great Workplace Re-set’ that is only just beginning here. We currently have a talent shortage due to combined factors such as, low skilled migrant entries, low unemployment rates, stagnant wages, and lockdowns that have forced work from home arrangements. Add to this a whole new demographic who, thanks to a booming housing market, are now financially comfortable because they have record levels of equity that didn’t exist 18 months ago.
In my earlier HR career, we set up our people systems with a one size fits all approach – to put rules and boundaries in place and then apply them across the organisation with very few exceptions. When I reflect on why this was, I think it was because it’s the easiest way to manage people. There’s no finesse or high level of skill required in the management of people if you have one set of clear rules.
These factors have created the perfect storm in which the biggest shift in workplace culture in my lifetime is upon us.
Put simply, the days of an employer thinking they can offer an average salary and expect people to give them their blood, sweat and tears in exchange, are over.
Workplaces moving forward are going to have to offer personalisation if they want to attract and retain good people. The ‘rules’ of the workplace culture are now going to be driven by the employee, and of course, every person is different! This in turn, is going to mean that leaders will be required to be more highly skilled in what have generally been termed, the ‘soft skills’.
Leaders will have to use their discretion, have conversations they usually try to avoid, clearly communicate the vision and values, and define goals and outcomes, but trust the employee to work out the ‘how’. I expect it will shine a light on those technical managers who have risen through the ranks because they are technically competent, but haven’t put as much knowledge development into what it takes to be a great leader.
“What got you here, won’t get you there…” Marshall Goldsmith
To get ahead of the curve as a leader, there are two areas I suggest your energy and resources could be directed to:
Rapid and significant change is hard, we know this. But as with all change, it’s easier to get on the front foot and work through it in a planned approach. The question is, are you and your organisation ready for the new normal?
To find out if I can support you in building your leadership skills, reach out.