In 2021 the catch-phrase ‘the great resignation’ has been seen splashed across Australian headlines and in the media. The phrase, coined in the United States in late 2020 refers to a surge amongst American’s in quitting their jobs, as a response to Covid-19, and was seen to be gaining momentum as communities learn to live with Covid.
Are we seeing the same phenomenon here in Australia? Australian Bureau of Statistics data does not seem to indicate that this is real, at least so far. However, rather than debating whether this is a real phenomenon, more importantly for leaders of organizations, is to really understand to navigate the inevitable conflicts and dilemmas in moving to a new way of working, post the acute phase of Covid-19.
Ian Sampson and Jill Tideman have written a short paper outlining an approach founded on creating the conditions for meaningful dialogue and conversation between leaders and employees themselves. This type of approach is essential for complex problems such those associated with workforce management and dynamics. It is also applicable to a whole range of other complex problems that are best addressed by taking a whole of systems approach.
