5 Years Since Australia’s First COVID Lockdown

🗓️ 𝗙𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸, 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻.

Historians will be writing about its ripple effects for decades—on society, mental health, the economy… and the workplace.

But five years on, some things are becoming very clear.

This week, I’m unpacking 3 key trends shaping the post-Covid workplace—and how they tie into ideas I’ve been writing and speaking about for over a decade.

Let’s start with the big one 👇
📉 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝟭𝟬-𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝘄

According to Gallup (US data, but very similar to what I’m seeing here in Australia):

⚠️ Only 44% of employees say they know what’s expected of them at work
📉 That’s down from 48% just a few years ago—already abysmally low
❤️ Only 30% feel connected to their organisation’s purpose

They’re calling it 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.
I call it a crisis of clarity and connection.

Here’s the good news: we can fix this.

💡 Start with clarity.

I’m a huge advocate for OKRs—though my regular readers will know I call them 𝗧𝗥𝗢𝘀: 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗢𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀:

🎯 5 (or fewer) outcomes
📏 Measurable results
🗣️ Written in real, human language

When people know what success looks like, they engage. They focus. They deliver.

Add purpose and connection back into the mix, and that’s where the magic happens.

Because the future of work isn’t defined by where we work.

It’s defined by how we lead.

💬 Are you seeing signs of detachment in your team or organisation? What’s helped you reconnect?

𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄’𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗜’𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝗻𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟵 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲.

#FutureOfWork #Leadership #EmployeeEngagement #OKRs #TROs #Gallup #WorkplaceStrategy #PostCovidWorkplace #BusinessLeadership #HybridWork #RemoteWork #Workplace2035