Saving money on executive outplacement is easy. Choose a mass-market vendor, give the departing leader a digital platform and a handful of coaching sessions, and record the difference as prudent budget control.

The invoice will almost certainly be smaller. But it will obscure the fact that the cost just exploded elsewhere – because the decision damaged the:

That is the problem with generic executive outplacement. The immediate saving is visible, but the long-term cost is not.

Your Leadership Team Is Concerned.

Leadership exits are rarely as private as organisations imagine. You may negotiate them behind closed doors, but they will be interpreted in full view of the people whose opinions matter most.

The executives who remain will watch exactly how you handle the departure. Not the press release – the substance:

Every senior leader watching makes the same quiet calculation: that is what will happen to me.

Research into organisational downsizing supports this.

Outplacement is just one part of the redundancy process, but it is one of its most significant parts.

(Related: Concierge-Level Executive Outplacement Service).

It tells the people who remain whether the organisation’s stated values survive contact with an inconvenient decision.

Senior markets are tightly networked. Departing executives talk to former colleagues, search consultants, and board members. Yes – the same candidates you might try to recruit next year.

The story of how someone left often travels further and lasts longer than the story of how they arrived.

The Hidden Cost Of Generic Outplacement.

A generic program may save the organisation several thousand dollars. That saving is immediate and easy to report.

The exposure it creates is delayed and considerably harder to trace:

None of these costs appear against the outplacement budget. Or even the HR budget.

They surface later as high employee churn, operational drag and missed sales targets.

HR celebrates the operational win – because they’ve streamlined their vendors. Finally! Everything related to onboarding, managing and offboarding on the same invoice!

But this “win” just triggered a set of second-order costs – for HR and for the organisation.

(Related: Concierge-Level Executive Outplacement Service).

This is not an argument for buying the most expensive package available for every executive departure.

Support must reflect the executive’s seniority, visibility, career complexity and continuing relationship value.

Why Most Executive Outplacement Fails.

Most outplacement was built to handle large workforces being downsized. It comes in the form of “scalable workforce solutions”.

And for mid-level employees, that may suffice.

The career challenge a departing C-suite leader faces is structurally different.

(Related: Concierge-Level Executive Outplacement Service).

Only around 20% of senior roles are filled through job postings. The rest move through board relationships, private networks and retained search firms operating entirely outside the visible market.

They may be deciding whether to pursue another operating role, build a portfolio career, seek board appointments, enter consulting or reposition themselves for an adjacent industry.

Their success depends on their ability to make difficult judgement calls – and position the value of their skillset optimally in the context of broader market expectations, and competition from other candidates.

1. A Mentor Who Understands The Room.

The most immediate need for a departing executive is a thinking partner.

Someone who understands board-level dynamics, senior stakeholder relationships and the identity crisis that a redundancy can trigger.

It involves deciding what the next chapter should look like, identifying the most commercially credible direction and repositioning the executive’s experience around it.

2. Market Activation – Not Fake Access.

There is a significant difference between helping an executive create opportunities and circulating their resume to disinterested recruiters.

Many outplacement providers promise introductions – or an email blast to recruiters:

Distribution without demand is not market access. It is another form of theatre.

What the executive needs is a partner who can help them activate their network with tact – and tap into the hidden market correctly.

3. Emotional Grounding.

A senior-level redundancy is rarely clean.

It may involve legal sensitivities, non-compete restrictions, strained board relationships and years of personal investment in an organisation that is now moving forward without the executive in question.

The effect should not be trivialised.

Re-employment was associated with an improvement in symptoms, although the researchers appropriately described the certainty of the evidence as low.

For senior leaders, the practical disruption can be compounded by identity. Their role may have shaped their status, routines, relationships and sense of professional relevance for years.

(Related: Concierge-Level Executive Outplacement Service).

When it disappears, the challenge is not merely to find another salary.

It is to reconstruct direction without allowing anger, embarrassment or urgency to dictate the next decision.

It creates room for the executive to regain perspective, make deliberate decisions and engage constructively with the market.

A grounded former leader is better equipped to maintain important relationships, speak about the departure with restraint and move forward without creating unnecessary reputational collateral damage.

Why Arielle Executive Outplacement?

Arielle Executive Concierge-Level Outplacement recognises that senior leaders need fundamentally different support in transition.

They need one-to-one guidance from people who understand executive careers. Specifically:

The question for an organisation is therefore not: what is the most scalable program we can offer? It is: what could this exit cost us if we mishandle it?

One question produces a smaller invoice. The other produces a better business decision.

Irene

In a perfect world, your team members would always gel perfectly and work seamlessly together to take your business to new heights of innovation, profitability, and customer satisfaction.

But teams are made up of many individuals who need direction and support to feel connected to each other and your company’s mission — in order to perform at their best. 

A high-performance team is driven, works collaboratively, quickly implements constructive feedback, and positively contributes to the whole team and the company.

(Related: Everything You Need To Know About Strategic Leadership).

1. Set Clear Expectations (And Coach People To Achieve Them).

Without properly defined expectations, no one on the team knows how to play or win the game.

Setting expectations starts with breaking down complex strategic objectives into clearly defined areas of accountability while aligning roles with your team members’ core competencies. 

(Related: Is An MBA Worth It?)

I recommend that you start with the big picture and work inwards:

Be sure to use the SMART principle to guide your team’s goal-setting:

Don’t set and forget: maintain team performance through repetition.

Expectation-setting isn’t a one-and-done process.

Repetition is key. ALWAYS over-communicate. Be willing to state the obvious.

Reiterate goals in your everyday communications with employees, always tying strategic company mission to tactical team goals that drive day-to-day activity.

Team performance will improve once employees have internalised how their progress on a small task contributes to a larger mission.

Of course, your job as a leader doesn’t end with setting SMART goals and talking about them:

(Related: Top 21 Ice-Breakers For Zoom Meetings).

2. Re-Clarify Responsibilities During Periods Of Rapid Growth.

Each team member needs to know their area of accountability within a team, how their success is measured and what their future prospects in the company look like.

If your technology business, for example, is growing from $30m to $100m in revenue through international expansion, you can expect a healthy degree of confusion, frustration and even resentment.

As a manager, your job is to accept that some fallout is unavoidable while doing your best to provide clarity and direction.

3 steps to give employees more clarity during periods of transformation:

(Related: Raise Emotional Intelligence In Your Workplace).

3. Lead With Values (Not Rules).

When businesses have no values (or weak values), they fall back on rules. While rules are certainly important and unavoidable, they’re also inefficient.

Let’s say you run a sales team that sells B2B software by cold-calling other businesses. You probably have a 3-page SOP manual that sets out a number of rules:

What do you expect the salesperson to do when they encounter a situation that your rules don’t cover, or requires them to bend the rules?

For example, they discover a hot lead at 5:05pm while scrolling LinkedIn on mobile, walking to their car.

(Related: 100 Thank You Message Ideas For Colleagues).

Should they call from the car or wait until tomorrow (and potentially lose the deal)? Should they call you to ask for permission to call after hours and log the notes in the CRM tomorrow?

No.

Because you have built a winning sales culture underpinned by concrete values below, they’re equipped to make the right decision:

4. Use Feedback To Hold People Accountable.

As a manager, it is your job to let your direct reports know how they’re doing in relation to how they’re expected to be doing.

Yet, a lot of managers don’t like giving feedback. In fact, most actively avoid it because they’re uncomfortable with the idea of conflict.

They rationalise it to themselves with the following:

Wrong.

High-performing teams have a work culture that embraces transparent and regular feedback. 

For them, feedback is an essential mechanism of growth – rather than a source of conflict or criticism.

Regular feedback encourages trust, fosters team cohesion, and improves team performance. It’s your role as a manager to cultivate a workplace culture where team members welcome it, seek it, and (gasp) look forward to it.

(Related: Best Accounting Software In Australia).

You can deliver your feedback in a number of ways, but the essence of effective feedback is always the same:

3 conditions are required for feedback to be effective:

Studies confirm that people who feel heard and supported are more likely to contribute to the team. With proper feedback, you build a positive, transparent, and productive work environment.

Ensure feedback is easy to receive by building a respectful culture.

Employees will find your feedback more difficult to hear if it’s delivered without regard to their knowledge, experience or feelings.

Teams with members who respect each other and interact positively outperform those with disparaging and negative members because they have a genuine desire to help each other and cover each other’s blind spots.

OurWatch confirms that a culture of respect fosters higher standards and organisational performance.

To solidify respect, ensure the following: 

5. Avoid Micromanaging Capable People.

You hired a person into a role because you decided that they were capable of performing the role.

If you find yourself micromanaging this person, you have one of two underlying issues:

If you find yourself in the first situation, you know what you need to do.

But if you’re in the latter, you may be in a habit of putting talented people offside.

If a leader tries to manage every aspect of a project, good team members are unlikely to innovate or take responsibility.

Your desire to prevent failure can, counterintuitively, lead to significantly less enthusiasm, initiative, performance or compliance.

(Related: Best HRIS Software In Australia).

Ultimately, high-performing employees under the scrutiny of a micromanaging boss feel less capable and can slide right into feeling resentful and disloyal. As a manager, remember: 

How can you feel more assured people are working on the right things?

Stay focused on setting expectations at the macro level. That is, clarifying goals and values.

Let your team decide how they achieve those goals, such as how the report is formatted or the size of the logo.

If the report succeeds, offer encouragement. If it doesn’t, hold them accountable.

Instead of being overly involved, your role as a team manager is to:

6. Create Systems That Support Autonomy And Team Productivity.

One way to improve team performance is by encouraging autonomy. Done properly, your team will feel empowered to achieve results.

The foundation of achieving this kind of well-oiled machine has been covered in previous points:

But on top of that, you need to create a system that facilitates independent work while keeping employees aligned with expectations and company objectives.

Effective structures and tools can also reinforce the boundaries you’ve set, reduce unnecessary interruptions and ensure your team remains focused on big-picture goals rather than getting distracted by day-to-day minutiae.

Some key components of a system that supports autonomy include:

7. Encourage Collaboration (With Fewer Unnecessary Meetings).

“If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.” This African proverb from Martha Goedert encompasses the spirit of team effectiveness. 

We’ve explained why creating the right conditions for people to work autonomously helps improve team effectiveness. But workplace productivity isn’t possible without some degree of collaboration among team members.

Collaborating in meaningful ways solidifies our sense of belonging and helps us refine and expand on ideas developed in isolation.

The best way to encourage collaboration is: 

People who actively contribute to a greater vision will contribute more meaningfully. Consider having your company vision in view in the workplace as a reminder to employees.

A prime example of poor collaboration is ineffective meetings. We’ve all suffered through meetings and thought, “This could have been an email.” Such meetings significantly lower productivity and motivation.

Even just one hour in an unnecessary or draining team meeting can interrupt the flow of a person’s day and reduce their ability to focus and produce quality work.

Ways to avoid meetings that prevent people from performing:

When you do hold meetings, focus on the following: 

(Related: 7 Rules For Western Executives Leading Teams In Eastern Cultures).

8. Recognise Every Success.

Having leadership skills, you’ll be accustomed to planning ahead and constantly pushing the team forward. However, they can also mean you easily overlook wins because you are too focused on setting new goals.

Celebrating successes is essential. Acknowledge the team’s performance and take respite before pushing for the next achievement.

You can celebrate by:

A celebration is an excellent way to improve team productivity and strengthen cohesion.

Final Thoughts About How To Improve Team Performance.

Improving employee engagement involves consistent effort and adjustment from you, the leader. It requires dedication and commitment to enforce your team’s dynamic as one that is respectful, collaborative, and visionary. 

You must lead by example and model optimal performance through your behaviour as a team leader.

Implement these seven tips to start seeing significant improvements in team productivity and performance in the coming year, and you’ll be proud to lead a high-performance team.

Steven

I have been fortunate in my career to lead large teams across the globe, including multi-year stints on the ground in India and China, where I was responsible for several thousand employees.

People often ask me about leadership differences between the West and India/China. 

Whilst I am hesitant to generalise too much, below are 7 lessons I have learnt on the journey.

(Related: Ultimate Guide To Capex For SMBs).

1. Recognise That Trust Is Earned And Not Given.

Many western leaders confuse respect for hierarchy, which is undoubtedly more pronounced in the East, with a willingness to go the extra mile for their manager. 

The reality is that they are very different.

I remember very clearly my new leader assimilation in China, where one of my team asked, “how do I earn your trust” to which I answered, “you start with 100% trust, it can only go down”. 

The whole team looked at me like I was from another planet. 

Whilst it takes longer, the good news is that once teams do trust their leader, they are incredibly loyal and will go well beyond the call of duty to make that leader successful.

(Related: Interest Rate Forecast: When Will RBA Cut Rates?)

2. A Growth Leadership Mindset Matters. 

By growth, I mean top line. 

When I moved from leading the UK business to leading the India business, I talked about the EBITDA improvements I had driven as a means of establishing my credentials. 

It had the opposite effect.

The thinking in India and China is that if you spend a lot of time on cost management, you are short of ideas on how to grow the top line. 

Cost management and productivity are, of course, also important.

Still, the starting point has to be “how can I maximise topline growth and create a sustainable, healthy environment to reward and grow the team?” 

A simple but important pivot.

(Related: The State Of Social Enterprise In Australia).

3. It’s All About Face. 

Although there is currently some hype around Chinese youth “lying flat”, the vast majority of employees work extremely hard and want to be successful and also be seen to be successful. 

The latter, in particular, sets India and China apart from the West. 

It’s not just the employee that has to feel good about the company – the employee’s family also has to feel good about it. 

Social media is prolific, employees want to share their awards, talk about exciting innovations their company has brought to market, and demonstrate that they have made good use of their education. 

A downside is that “turnaround assignments” are more difficult to sell to employees, as they often have many options and don’t want to take the potentially career-threatening risk of being seen to be in charge of something unsuccessful.

Again, establishing trust is very important here.

4. Beware Of The Meeting Outside The Meeting. 

In the West, we are used to getting all the views out on the table and making decisions in the meeting. 

In the East, you have to work very hard to create an inclusive and risk-free environment where everyone can express their honest view. 

Then the real discussion and lobbying happen in small groups afterwards, with a sole representative eventually talking to the leader one-on-one about what the group thinks and what decision should be made. 

(Related: 4 Pillars Of Transformational Leadership).

5. Don’t Judge Someone By The Quality Of Their Business Case. 

In the West, we put a big premium on being articulate and being able to explain why something is a good idea. We are taught that story matters.

In the East, the focus is much more on the idea itself. 

As Western leaders working in the East, we must be very attuned to this, ensuring we support the best ideas and not just the best stories. 

Coaching top talent to improve confidence and communication skills is incredibly rewarding and should be a priority for leaders, especially those operating within multinational corporations.

(Related: How To Calculate Your Net Profit Margin).

6. India And China Speed Is Real.

It’s difficult to grasp this until you experience it. 

India and China are evolving rapidly. In the last 10 years their combined GDP has grown by 110% compared to 19% in the rest of the world.

Technology adoption and new business models are at the forefront of the economy, and the competitive environment is intense. 

In this context, fast decision-making is critical. Get ready to make decisions over WhatsApp or WeChat at a moment’s notice. 

It’s incumbent on leaders to do everything they can to unblock processes and complexity that get in the way of fast decision-making.  

For example, be mindful that heavily matrixed organisations and multiple global reporting lines are often part of why multinational firms in India and China are out-manoeuvred by local players. 

7. Don’t Pretend To Be The Market Expert.

Never forget you won’t know the market or culture as well as your team. You can be the expert in your home country, but not when you’re away from home.

Admit that early on.

It is, however, very important to build your knowledge and show a willingness to learn. 

On my video introduction call to my new team, before I landed in the market, I showed several books I was reading.

I didn’t think too much of it, but that memory was played back by my team time and time again in the following years as the proof they were looking for that I was going to be a humble leader.

Throw yourself into karaoke with the team in China. Dance like crazy with the team in India. They will love it … and so will you!

Bottom Line About Leadership Differences Between East vs West.

These lessons, of course, aren’t comprehensive, but hopefully they will help fast-track the learning process for leaders moving from Western markets to India and China. 

Let me also stress that whilst there are differences in leadership, there are also many similarities, my advice for leaders is always to be authentic, empathic, strategic and empowering. 

Such traits will stand you in good stead everywhere.

Justin

Keeping track of public holidays in Australia is complicated, considering we will observe nine public holidays nationally in 2026. Also, each of the six states and two territories has its own unique holidays.

This is problematic for employers, especially those who have teams working in different states.

To keep your operations running smoothly, we’ve compiled all the details of public holidays that are observed by the entire nation, by state, and by region.

(Related: What Is The Minimum Wage In Australia?)

Can Employees Be Forced To Work A Public Holiday?

Before we outline every public holiday in Australia, it’s worth reviewing a legal case from 2019 in which the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia decided that employers cannot demand that employees work on public holidays.

According to the National Employment Standards (NES), employees are entitled to be absent from work on a public holiday.

The Court recognised that the rostering didn’t constitute a request, since employees had no choice but to work – setting a new precedent.

Expert Tip: Add Australian public holidays to your diary.

At the click of a few buttons, using the free CalendarLabs calendar, you can download (most) Australian public holidays to any iCal calendar-supported application, such as Outlook, Gmail, or Apple Calendar.

This gets updated automatically for the following year, to keep you abreast of any changes.

It doesn’t contain some state-wide and regional holidays like Reconciliation Day and Adelaide Cup Day, but it captures the main ones, and you’ll get into the habit of tracking them.

(Use the management summary at the end of this article for reference.)

That way, everyone will get full visibility of what’s coming up.

How Many Public Holidays In The ACT?

In the Australian Capital Territory, there are 13 public holidays, including 11 national holidays and two state-specific holidays:

Unlike other states, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are not observed as half-day public holidays in ACT.

State-wide holidays in the Australian Capital Territory.

Canberra Day is only observed in the ACT and the Jervis Bay Territory. It’s a state-wide holiday that applies to all residents in the ACT, not just those living in the city of Canberra.

It falls on the second Monday in March.

Reconciliation Day marks the beginning of National Reconciliation Week to celebrate indigenous culture and history. It’s a relatively new holiday, which was first observed in 2018.

In 2026, these holidays will be observed on the following dates:

Regional holidays in the Australian Capital Territory.

There are no regional holidays for specific cities or towns in the ACT.

One exception to the list above is that a bank holiday occurs on the first Monday in August, although bank holidays don’t apply to everyone. Refer to your Enterprise Agreement or Award for more information.

How Many Public Holidays In NSW?

In New South Wales, there are 11 national holidays:

Unlike some states, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are not observed as a half-day public holiday in New South Wales.

State-wide holidays in New South Wales.

There are no state-wide holidays in New South Wales.

Regional holidays in New South Wales.

In New South Wales, there are several regional holidays in addition to national public holidays.

Wow! Clarence Valley residents get an extra four public holidays and Parkes residents get three.

Lucky for some. Also, in NSW, the first Monday in August is a Bank Holiday, during which banks and financial institutions are closed.

How Many Public Holidays In NT?

In Northern Territory, 12 national public holidays are observed:

In the Northern Territory, residents also observe May Day, which is often referred to as Labour Day. They also observe half-day holidays on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

State-wide holidays in Northern Territory.

May Day, also colloquially referred to (rather than officially) as Labour Day, is usually observed on the first Monday in May, to celebrate the achievements of workers and the labour movement.

Picnic Day is typically celebrated on the first Monday of August and is a time to enjoy outdoor activities, such as barbeques, picnics, and sports.

In 2026, these holidays will be observed on the following dates:

Regional holidays in the Northern Territory.

In the Northern Territory, there are five regional holidays in addition to the national and state-wide public holidays.

How Many Public Holidays In QLD?

In Queensland, 12 national public holidays are observed:

Unlike in other states, the King’s birthday and Labour Day are celebrated on different days.

Christmas Eve is also observed an hour earlier than in Northern Territory and South Australia, starting from 6pm. New Year’s Eve, however, is not observed as a half-day holiday in Queensland.

State-wide holidays in Queensland.

There are no state-wide holidays in Queensland.

Regional holidays in Queensland.

The Ekka, previously known as the Royal Queensland Show, is an agricultural show.

The public holiday is officially named Royal National Agricultural (RNA) Show Day – also known as Ekka People’s Day. It welcomes over 400,000 visitors each year with over 21,000 competition entries!

In 2026, People’s Day will be observed between the 8th-16th of August in these locations: Brisbane; Burdekin; Charters Towers; Cloncurry; Gold Coast; Livingstone; Logan; Mackay; Rockhampton; Weipa Town Area; and Whitsunday (Bowen area only).

How Many Public Holidays In SA?

In South Australia, 13 national public holidays are observed:

There’s not a single national public holiday that isn’t observed in South Australia.

In all the other states, there is at least one exception, be that the part-day holiday on Christmas Eve in ACT or Labour Day in Tasmania.

State-wide holidays in South Australia.

Proclamation Day celebrates the founding of the government in South Australia as a British province. It is observed on Boxing Day in Queensland, and the two terms are used interchangeably.

Adelaide Cup Day is a day dedicated to another horse racing event, and it’s usually held on the second Monday of March. In 2026, it will be held on the 9th of March.

Regional holidays in South Australia.

There are no regional holidays in South Australia.

How Many Public Holidays In TAS?

In Tasmania, eight national public holidays are observed:

There is no dedicated public holiday for Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Eve, or New Year’s Eve in Tasmania.

State-wide holidays in Tasmania.

In Tasmania, Eight Hours Day is celebrated, which other states refer to as Labour Day.

It’s a celebration of the workers who fought to improve working conditions in Australia to introduce the eight-hour working day.

Interestingly, Tasmania is the only Australian state that observes Easter Tuesday.

It replaces Easter Sunday, which is not a public holiday. Although Easter Tuesday is only observed by public-sector employees.

In 2026, these holidays will be observed on the following dates:

Regional holidays in Tasmania.

In Tasmania, there are 11 regional holidays in addition to national and state-wide public holidays.

The list of locations these events apply to is too comprehensive for this article. You can find out more about which regions these public holidays apply to on the official Tasmanian government website.

How Many Public Holidays In VIC?

In Victoria, 11 national public holidays are observed:

Labour Day in Victoria is celebrated on a different day than in most states. Also, no half-day holiday is observed for Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

State-wide holidays in Victoria.

The Friday before the AFL Grand Final, aka Grand Final Eve or Grand Final Friday, is a public holiday that’s exclusively celebrated in Victoria. Thousands line the streets to watch the parade, with many wearing full kits and waving flags.

Also, the Melbourne Cup (“the race that stops the nation”) is another public holiday dedicated to horse racing, and it’s been a public holiday in Victoria since 1876.

It’s coming under increasing scrutiny from animal rights activists, and even Taylor Swift cancelled her scheduled performance due to the protests in 2023.

In 2026, these holidays will be observed on the following dates:

Regional holidays in Victoria.

All of Victoria observes Melbourne Cup Day unless an alternate local holiday is arranged by a non-metropolitan municipality.

These regions seem to change every year.

In 2023, for example, Yarriambiack Shire Council celebrated a half-day on 7th November, but won’t this year.

In 2026, these are the following municipalities will observe a different public holiday, instead of the Melbourne Cup public holiday:

To keep up to date with regional holidays in Victoria, refer to the official government website of Victoria. Dates will be added here when the relevant municipalities confirm them.

How Many Public Holidays In WA?

In Western Australia, 10 national public holidays are observed:

In Western Australia, the King’s Birthday and Labour Day are celebrated on different days to other states. Also, the Saturday before Easter Sunday is not observed; neither is Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve.

State-wide holidays in Western Australia.

Western Australia has its own public holiday: Western Australia Day, of course!

It’s a day that celebrates all Western Aussies, including its Aboriginal history, European settlers, and other people from across the world who make WA their home.

In 2026, Western Australia Day will be celebrated on the 1st of June.

Regional holidays in Western Australia.

The only regional holidays observed in Western Australia are alternative dates for the King’s Birthday public holiday. These are substitute public holidays, not additional days.

In 2026, the following regions will celebrate the King’s Birthday on these dates:

In previous years, the Shire of East Pilbara (Marble Bar) and Shire of East Pilbara (Newman) celebrated the King’s Birthday on a different day. But the last time they did so was in 2020.

Summary Of Australian Public Holidays In 2026.

This table provides a high-level management summary of public holidays in Australia.

Please note that this table excludes region-specific holidays, such as those listed above for the Northern Territory, New South Wales, Tasmania, Western Australia, Victoria, and Queensland.

At this point, is anyone here considering a move to another state? If you live in Tasmania, you might feel as though you’ve drawn the short straw.

One Queenslander on Reddit suggested they just chuck a sickie to balance things out.

Another said:

Amusing as this comment is, it may be worth reviewing absenteeism across your workforce to see if unplanned absences are impacting your operations during public holidays.

Frequently Asked Questions About Australia Public Holidays.

Here are some frequently asked questions that offer some insight into public holidays in Australia.

How many public holidays are there in a year in Australia?

The term “national public holiday” is confusing for Aussies. For instance, while the Kings’ birthday is considered a national holiday, it takes place on a different day in different states.

And while the official website for Australian tourism suggests that Easter Saturday and Sunday are national holidays, these two public holidays aren’t observed in Tasmania and Western Australia.

Don’t get too hung up on ambiguous terminology.

There is a total of seven holidays that are celebrated across all states on the exact same day.

They are New Year’s Day, Australia Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, ANZAC Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day (Proclamation Day in QLD).

Working outside your state or region on a public holiday?

An employee is entitled to the public holidays that fall where they work, not where they are working on the day of the public holiday.

A tradesman couldn’t, for example, just take the day off because he happens to be erecting a fence in Alice Springs on Alice Springs Show Day.

What happens when a public holiday falls on a weekend?

In all states and territories, when Christmas Day, Boxing Day, or New Year’s Day falls on a weekend, the Holidays Act of 1983 allows for an additional public holiday whereby the next weekday is also considered a public holiday.

Although there are exceptions for other public holidays in other states.

When will I find out the date for the Friday before the AFL Grand Final?

The Friday before the AFL Grand Final usually occurs on the last Friday in September.

To confirm the exact date for the AFL schedule release, check this dedicated website, grandfinalday.com.au.

Their homepage is updated with the details of the AFL grand final (which takes place on a Saturday).

How do part-day public holidays affect employees? 

In some states, any employee who is usually scheduled to work between 7pm and 12am on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve is entitled to receive public holiday rates based on their Enterprise Award or Agreement.

This applies to the following states for Christmas Eve:

And for New Year’s Eve, this applies to:

As for the rest? Bah, humbug!

Final Word On Public Holidays In Australia.

If you plan your workload appropriately, you won’t need to apply extra pressure on the workforce to “make up for lost time”.

Employees have earned their right to take a day off – and you won’t build rapport with them if you coerce them into working overtime or through their lunch break.

You might well meet your deadline or fulfil a late batch of customer orders, but what damage might you do to your relationship? What is the cost of having your best performers “quiet quit” on you because you’re acting like a slave driver?

If taking one day off presents you with a plethora of challenges, there is a deeper issue rooted in your business’s operations. The problem isn’t people, it’s processes.

Escalate this to the senior management team.

Tommy

Writing a reference letter is something that we’re obligated to do once in a blue moon – unless you work in HR. But even if you have experience in writing reference letters, it’s not uncommon to sit down and stare at a blank screen without any idea what to write about a particular employee.

If that’s you right now, don’t worry.

We feel the pressure because we know that writing a reference letter has a tangible impact on the employee’s future opportunities.

In this article, we’ll strip away that pressure and furnish you with inspiration on what and how to write a reference letter – and we’ll even throw in a couple of templates for good measure.

Related: How To Write A Warning Letter To An Employee).

What Is The Protocol For Writing Reference Letters In Australia?

Unlike in other English-speaking countries, like the US and the UK, Australian companies don’t typically use reference letters as part of the hiring process. They’re mainly used for scholarships, grants, and university admissions.

In rare circumstances, a candidate may wish to appendix a reference to their portfolio for a job application if they’ve worked:

References in Australia are usually carried out by recruiters and hiring managers over the phone – mainly because asking referees questions on the spot yields more authentic responses.

Usually, a person will ask you to be a referee before submitting your name and contact information to the institution in question. At this point, you need to decide if you wish to proceed.

The benefits of doing so are:

Should You Be Concerned About Employer Ratings?

According to Glassdoor, 86% of job seekers look at a company’s reviews and ratings before applying for a job. Rightly or wrongly, those who have a bad experience are two to three times more likely to write an angry review than satisfied employees.

Surprised?

Well, we spend hours scouring reviews on the internet for the best office chair (or even seemingly inconsequential purchases), so, unsurprisingly, future employees are doing their due diligence on your organisation.

Concerned?

You should be. Both current and former employees can leave reviews anonymously on Glassdoor, and three overall metrics impact an employer’s ratings:

Those companies with the best ratings naturally attract the best talent.

If you want to boost your rating on Glassdoor – you guessed it – you need to ask for more reviews. Before doing so, you want to ensure you:

(Related: How To Give Constructive Feedback As A Manager).

One segment of your workforce you can tap into is those you have written positive reference letters for. You scratch their back, they’ll scratch yours.

But before we dive into all the warm fuzzy feelings that accompany reference letter writing, it’s important to note that not every request will evoke a positive response.

What If I Dislike This Particular Employee?

You’ve hidden your true feelings so well during the employee’s tenure that they’re oblivious to your opinion of them.

You can tactfully omit criticism from the letter and focus instead on praising the individual (this is covered in “An Honest Reference Letter” section.

It would be grossly unfair to hamper a person’s career opportunities.

That said, if an employee’s tenure ended controversially, or if they are an underperformer, you will struggle to praise them.

You may have other reasons to decline, such as not knowing the person’s character or having the time. Most will prefer you to decline the request rather than write a half-assed endorsement.

How To Decline A Recommendation Request [Example].

If you are in a situation where you need to decline tactfully, respond with something along the lines of this:

Hi [first name],

That’s excellent news, and I’m pleased to hear that you’re pursuing such an exciting opportunity that aligns with your ambitions.

Unfortunately, I’m a little tied up, and lack the capacity to give this the focus and attention it truly deserves to support you in your application.

Wishing you the best of luck in your new endeavour.

Kind regards,

[Your name]

Before You Start Writing, Start Plotting.

Writing a glowing reference letter is not dissimilar to writing a story. You’re taking the reader on a journey. You need to hook them from the outset.

Your story starts with the protagonist (your former colleague), and it’s up to you to take the reader on a journey of part of their career (a tiny chapter).

But it needs to be succinct – you can’t go writing War and Peace.

Zzzzz. Zzzzz.

The Three-Act Structure.

Almost all stories follow the three-act structure.

For the sake of simplicity, you can think of your reference letter as comprising three acts: the setup, the confrontation, and the resolution.

1. The Setup.

Introduce your colleague and their job title, and explain how you know them. Here’s an example:

2. The Confrontation.

Demonstrate the challenges your colleague encountered and how they overcame them. Here’s an example:

3. The Resolution.

Describe the impact of your colleague’s efforts – commercially, operationally, and socially. Here’s an example:

Show, Don’t Tell.

Along the way, you’ll need to weave in specific examples of work the employee has carried out. It’s not enough to say, “Daniel has a good work ethic.”

You need to show the reader through a specific example, like this:

Dropping in specific performance targets (KPIs) and milestones is an excellent way of showing proficiency:

Ensure Your Reference Letter Is Personalised To The Employee And The Opportunity.

What you write and how you write depends on the audience. So, who’s your audience? What industry do they operate in? And what kind of qualities are they looking for?

If your employee is applying for a grant on behalf of a non-profit organisation, you’ll need to highlight their compassion, relevant skills, and enthusiasm for doing the right thing.

With all that in mind, here are some reference letter templates you can use.

A Glowing Employee Reference Letter [Sample].

You would write this for an employee who goes consistently above and beyond.

Dear [institution name],

I’m writing to recommend [employee’s full name] for the [opportunity]. I’ve had the pleasure of working with [employee’s first name] since [year they/you joined], and [mention relationship to employee].

Throughout that time, [employee’s first name] has worked as a [employee’s job title] and their main duties included [briefly mention main duties].

[Employee’s first name]’s ability to [mention specific attribute/s] exceeded my expectations and those of other employees. I recall a particular time when [mention challenge], during which [employee’s first name] [explain how they overcame the challenge: resources used, their approach, and people engaged].

As a result of [employee’s first name]’s efforts, [mention the commercial and social impacts of the outcome].

This is just one of the specific examples of the value that [employee’s first name] demonstrated in their time working with us. Were I afforded the time, I would gladly recount several more instances of the value [employee’s first name] added during their tenure here at [your organisation].

I recognise this is a great opportunity for [employee’s first name] and I have no hesitation in recommending them.

Should you have any further questions, please get in touch with me by [provide preferred contact information].

Best wishes,

[Your name]

[Your organisation]

A Reference Letter Template For An Average Joe [Sample].

You would write this for an employee who is punctual and does most of what’s required of them.

Dear [institution name],

I’m writing to recommend [employee’s full name] for the [opportunity]. I’ve known [employee’s first name] since [year they/you joined]. Throughout that time, [employee’s first name] has worked as a [job title/s] and their main duties included [briefly mention main duties].

During their tenure, [employee’s name] consistently demonstrated great [mention two to three key skills]. [Employee’s name] played a pivotal role in [specific project or achievement], which resulted in [describe the outcomes and benefits of employee’s contribution].

Aside from their technical capabilities, [employee name] is a pleasure to work with and highly regarded by their peers and seniors. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend [employee name] for the [opportunity].

If you require any further information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me by [provide preferred contact information].

Many thanks,

[Your name]

[Your organisation]

An Honest Reference Letter Example For An Underwhelming Performer [Sample].

You would write this for an employee who has performed unsatisfactorily.

Dear [institution name],

I confirm that [employee’s full name] was employed as [job title] at [company name] from [start date] to [end date].

Their job carried the following responsibilities:

[Employee name] is proficient in [mention personal attributes or skills, but omit behavioural characteristics].

If you require any additional clarification on [employee’s full name]’s role and responsibilities, please feel free to contact me at [provide preferred contact information].

Sincerely,

[Your name]

[Your organisation]

Can An Employee Sue Me For Defamation?

When writing an honest reference like the example above, stick to the facts and avoid making any judgements or giving your opinions about an individual’s character.

Doing so might hinder the employee’s future opportunities and could lead to legal action (defamation) if your former employee is deemed unfairly portrayed.

While this took place in Singapore, let’s not forget that stranger employment lawsuits have occurred in Australia.

Are References Unnecessary Bureaucracy?

According to Mario Barbatti, professor of chemistry at Aix Marseille University,

References are, by their very nature, subjective. They contain prejudices, emotional biases, and a distinct lack of evidence.

Anyone who is in the habit of verifying reference letters will do so with a dose of scepticism. So why do institutions still insist on asking for them?

A question for HR managers who regularly check candidates’ reference letters: how many times have you rescinded your offer?

HR expert Tim Sackett reckons that only 1 in 1,000 clients have rescinded an offer due to a bad reference.

Agree or disagree?

One thing we can agree on is that very few employees will ask a boss who hates them for a reference. More often than not, the brief conversations that accompany a reference check won’t alter the outcome.

My reason for sharing this isn’t to deter you from putting in effort when writing a reference letter but to take some pressure away from you.

As long as your reference is to a decent standard, and doesn’t include anything incriminating, it will stand the employee in good stead.

Frequently Asked Questions About Employment Reference Letters.

Here are some frequently asked questions that provide further context to the subject of employment reference letters.

How many words should an employee reference letter be?

A good recommendation letter should be about one page in length, around 300 to 500 words.

Anything greater than a page in length is likely to be scanned rather than fully digested. Remember to break up paragraphs by subject to avoid aesthetically displeasing chunks of text.

What Are The Different Types Of Reference Letters?

There are three main types of references that an institution may request.

The contents of a character reference will vary more greatly than a professional or academic reference.

Some will be written by family members and will demonstrate how a person is a loving parent; an associate may write about this particular person’s financial skills as the treasurer of a community club.

Whatever the contents (whether it’s work achievements or personal achievements), it’s still a good idea to follow the three-act structure, as discussed earlier.

After all, we’re here to tell a story about the candidate – we’re here to paint pictures with words.

Endlessly listing traits and characteristics is the literary equivalent of taking a chloroform rag to the nostrils. Don’t send the reader to sleep with disconnected anecdotes.

Can you lose a job offer because of a bad reference?

An institution may withdraw an offer if the candidate is found to have provided incorrect information. Before submitting your reference, you can share it with the employee to ensure the information aligns with what they’ve submitted.

Here’s some of Albus Dumbledore’s sage wisdom that encapsulates that responsibility: “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.”

Take your responsibility seriously. Someone has come to you to sponsor them for an amazing opportunity. Their future is (to some degree) in your hands.

Key Takeaways On Writing A Reference Letter.

If time is on your side, and you really want to maximise the chances of a person landing this opportunity, don’t try to write the reference in one sitting.

When you step away from your desk or stop tapping at your smartphone, your subconscious mind is still hard at work trying to plug the gaps.

Later, ideas will spontaneously pop into your head when you’re driving, or when you’re in the shower, or rather annoyingly, the moment your head hits the pillow.

They have a habit of springing out on you anytime, any place.

Always have your Notes app ready on your smartphone. That way, you’ll be ready to capture these ideas when they transition from your subconscious to your conscious.

Whatever you do, don’t think “Oh, I’ll remember that and write it down later,” because more often than not, the idea will escape your memory.

Tommy

There are fewer things in our working lives that are more difficult than issuing an employee with a termination letter – unless you’re Gary Vaynerchuk or Elon Musk.

American entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk is a proponent of “hire fast, fire fast”, and Elon Musk showed little remorse when firing 80% of Twitter staff when he took over.

As much as I appreciate their qualities, when it comes to how to treat people, I’m in a different camp – and given you’ve arrived here, I suspect you’re a little more conscientious too.

(Related: How To Double The Productivity Of Your Employees).

Consider The Impact On The Recipient.

There are two dimensions to writing a human, effective, employee termination letter:

I will cover both, starting with the human aspect.

The very first thing you should do is put yourself in the employee’s shoes.

They’ll experience a spectrum of emotions as they read their termination letter, the overriding feeling being one of fear.

Take a moment to process that.

How To Deliver The News.

During my corporate career, I did a four-year stint at a subsidiary of the biggest international grocery retailer in the world. The American influence of no-mercy hiring and firing was prevalent.

Oblivious employees turned up to work one day, not knowing it was their last.

People were crying or fighting back tears as they exited their termination meetings. They returned to their desks to collect their personal belongings before saying goodbye.

There was a severe detachment and lack of loyalty because those employees never forgot the way their colleagues were unceremoniously axed.

When issuing a termination letter:

Find a discreet meeting room situated away from the wider team (preferably with soundproof walls).

At some stage, they’ll need to:

Facilitating this shortly after you’ve broken the news is poor timing.

Would you want to walk through an open office with red eyes and flushed cheeks and bid everyone a heartfelt goodbye?

Most prefer privacy.

What if this particular person is a bad apple?

Some employees leave on bad terms. If you’re firing an employee for serious misconduct, the employee will have at least suspected this was coming.

You will (or should) have given them verbal warnings and a written warning.

What if this person made your life a living hell? What if they were late, rude, arrogant, and abusive?

(Related: How To Improve Performance & Cohesion Of Your Team).

You’ll feel the temptation to write a retaliatory termination letter that delivers a satisfying final blow.

However, no matter how poor-performing they were, avoid the temptation to write a termination letter that aggravates them.

Using smug language could backfire. Some people feel so aggrieved that they’ll:

What Tone Should I Use?

I won’t dwell on tone too much since I provide two comprehensive templates below that you can use.

But if you decide to deviate from that, you must ensure the tone of your termination letter is formal and professional.

You want to refrain from:

Your termination letter should read like legal documentation (because that’s exactly what it is).

(Related: How To Write An Employee Reference Letter).

How To Comply With The Fair Work Act 2009.

You don’t want to find yourself in hot water – and by that, I mean attending court or a workplace tribunal due to unfair dismissal.

The contents of your letter of termination need to be written in accordance with the Fair Work Act 2009.

(Related: What Is A Genuine Redundancy?)

Prior to sending a termination letter, you must warn the employee (for the sake of evidence, written warnings are best) of their serious misconduct or performance issues.

You then need to:

If you need more information, check out the Fair Work Ombudsman, the regulator of workplace laws.

Can an employee sue for unfair dismissal?

Employees seeking compensation can launch legal proceedings and sue employers if they feel they have been unfairly dismissed.

The Fair Work Commission (FWC) defines unfair dismissal as:

Even though the commission aims to protect employees, just because an employee files a claim does not guarantee the proceeding will go in their favour.

The FWC rejected an unfair dismissal claim by Suzie Cheikho, consultant at Insurance Australia Group (IAG).

IAG claimed to have evidence that showed Chiekho’s keystroke activity, and that she “failed to work her rostered hours for 44 days of the 49 days monitored.”

The FWC found that the dismissal was valid and not “harsh, unjust, or unreasonable”.

What Is Harsh, Unjust Or Unreasonable?

The FWC bases their decisions on whether an employee’s termination was harsh, unjust, or unreasonable.

That may sound a little vague, but here are some criteria for what that constitutes:

That last bullet point suggests that not everything is always black and white and that the FWC can exercise their power in more complicated circumstances.

What is the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code?

You might occasionally hear the term “Small Business Fair Dismissal Code” bandied around when researching Australian laws and regulations.

A checklist is available to help employers comply with the code.

If an employee submits a claim against an employer, the employer needs to provide evidence that shows they are compliant with the code.

What’s the difference between the code and the Fair Work Act?

The official code is a paltry 300-word document, and I can’t quite understand why so much weight has been attributed to this.

Seems like a waste of tax dollars if you ask me. Although I’d genuinely love someone to correct me in the comments below.

The only distinguishable difference between the code and the act is where the code says:

Employee Termination Letter Template (Disciplinary Action).

With all that in mind, here are two employee termination template letters: the first is tailored to when termination is a result of disciplinary actions, and the second is for when the company is making a strategic decision to downsize or go in a different direction.

Dear [employee name],

Over the last [denote period in weeks/months], we have assessed your [performance/conduct] against your performance improvement plan, and we regret to inform you that we are terminating your employment at [company name] due to failing to meet our previously agreed-upon targets.

We understand this news may be difficult to process, and we strongly recommend you take this opportunity to reflect on your actions and make improvements accordingly before reentering the workforce.

You are entitled to your salary up until [termination date], and you will also be compensated for any outstanding annual leave you have accrued. In addition, you will receive a separate letter from [HR team/designated team member]with the details of your severance pay and how much you’re entitled to receive.

I’m obliged to remind you of the non-solicitation and non-disclosure agreement you signed when joining [company name] (attached to this letter). Even after you depart the company, these legally binding agreements will remain in effect. Under those agreements, you must delete any information about our stakeholders (such as customers, suppliers, and colleagues) that is stored on your personal devices.

Either your line manager or a member of the HR team will be in touch to retrieve any company property that you currently possess, such as your laptop, carry case, smartphone, chargers, and locker keys.

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with [HR team/designated team member] at [email address]. In all cases, we are committed to providing fair and accurate employment references to any prospective employers.

We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavours.

[signature]

[your name]

Employee Termination Letter Template (Strategic Decision).

Dear [employee name],

It’s with sincere regret that I am writing to inform you that we are terminating your employment at [company name] due to [specific reason for termination].

Given the competitive challenges [company name] faces, we had no choice but to take some drastic action and restructure the ailing parts of the business, which means it is no longer financially viable to place staff in certain roles.

I want you to know that this has been a decision that has been subject to months of deliberation and we have tried where possible to avoid this outcome. I also understand this is an incredibly difficult situation for you and that you will need time to figure out your options.

In the meantime, I want to be the first to express that your contributions have not gone unnoticed, and I recognise the enormous impact your departure will have on the business. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all your hard work during your time working here.

Your salary will be paid in full up until [termination date], and you will, of course, be compensated for any outstanding annual leave you have accrued. In addition, you will receive a separate letter from [HR team/designated team member]that contains details of how much severance pay you’re entitled to.

Whilst the timing of this may seem insensitive, I am obliged to remind you of two legally binding agreements you signed when joining the company (attached to this letter): a non-solicitation and a non-disclosure agreement. These agreements still remain in effect upon termination of your employment. You must delete any information about our customers, employees, or other stakeholders stored on your personal devices.

Either your line manager or a member of the HR team will be in touch to retrieve any company property that you currently possess, such as your laptop, carry case, smartphone, chargers, and locker keys. We appreciate your cooperation in returning those at your earliest convenience.

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with [HR team/designated team member] at [email address].

Once again, thank you for all your excellent contributions to our company’s performance and culture.

[signature]

[your name]

Final Word On The Employee Termination Process.

Terminating an employee’s contract rarely engenders a positive response – unless you’re offering a generous severance payment.

Most, however, will be upset and angry. Do you want them to take that anger out in the workplace?

You can expect high absenteeism. It’s better to pay them in lieu of their notice period. Don’t give them an opportunity to sabotage company assets or team morale. That’s a commercial decision you will need to weigh up.

Frequently Asked Questions About Termination Letters.

Here are some frequently asked questions that will help you write a professional termination letter.

Does an employee have to sign a termination letter?

Ordinarily, an employee doesn’t need to sign a termination letter, but the sender should.

Severance packages tend to stipulate that the employee waives any right to sue the company or pursue claims against it after their employment contract has been terminated.

An employee may not want to forfeit those rights if they believe they have been wrongfully dismissed.

An employee should seek legal counsel if they are unsure how to proceed.

What constitutes an unlawful termination?

It is unlawful to terminate an employee’s contract based on:

Employees who believe they have been unfairly dismissed can apply to the Fair Work Commission within 21 days of the dismissal taking effect.

What are protected attributes in Australia?

Under the Fair Work Act in Australia, the following are protected attributes: race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, family or carer’s responsibilities, pregnancy, religion, political opinion, national extraction, social origin, breastfeeding, gender identity, and intersex status.

Bizarrely, hair colour isn’t a protected attribute – and I think it’s high time it carried equal status as the aforementioned. Some harmful stereotypes still prevail in the workplace today, particularly for people with red and blonde hair.

Tommy

Have you ever heard yourself saying, “I don’t get paid enough to deal with this”? This frustration arises when a colleague repeatedly rubs you the wrong way. If workplace conflict keeps you up at night or you dread returning to work, you need to improve your conflict resolution skills.

However, not all conflict is negative. Organisational change and conflict are two sides of the same coin.

The key to success is learning to identify the root causes of conflict and managing it appropriately. Let me show you how.

The Three Types Of Conflict & Their Layers.

Let’s start by shedding the unrealistic belief that you can avoid workplace conflict altogether.

American psychologist Daniel Katz argues that conflict broadly arises in three forms:

The layers of conflict.

Beneath these three types of conflict, you’ll find nuanced layers that are influenced by the dynamic of the parties involved. Conflict can be:

Each type and each layer of conflict warrants a different approach.

(Related: 9 Best Password Managers In Australia).

The North Star Of Workplace Conflict Management.

You’re only human and can’t switch your inner emotions on and off on a whim – but you can control your outer behaviour and be respectful.

Dr Schulze and his team collected data from 152 researchers who work in reputable German institutions. They came up with a quiz and proscribed the respondents with a label:

Those in the “Problem-solving” category have higher self-respect and respect for others. Use this as the North Star to guide you to being more respectful.

So, how can we be more respectful to others as well as ourselves when we address conflict?

How To Manage Conflict.

I won’t spoon-feed you here with a list of self-evident examples and namby-pamby conflict resolution steps (Step 1: Make eye contact; Step 2: Find common ground; Step 3: Practise active listening…).

If your style is Kim Jong Un, acting like Jacinda Ardern will come across as downright weird when trying to resolve conflict.

(Just to be clear, I’m an advocate of neither.)

Carry these philosophies with you into your intellectual battles to ensure you remain respectful.

1. You must be dispassionate.

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of sitting in a courtroom for jury service or in a public gallery, you might have heard the judge instruct the jury by saying, “Your duty is to be dispassionate”.

What do judges mean by that, to be dispassionate?

It’s synonymous with critical thinking and scientific methodology.

I was slightly mortified when one fellow juror insisted that the defendant ought to be let off the hook on the grounds that “He was only a young lad,” perhaps because, as she said herself, he reminded her of her troubled grandson.

This defendant had smashed another bloke’s head in with a baseball bat, by the way.

True story (though I wish it wasn’t).

Although she meant well, her compassion clouded her judgement.

2. Nobody is the villain in their own story.

I believe most people have legitimate reasons for why they behave the way they do.

Nine out of 10 workers would sacrifice some of their earnings to do more meaningful work.

So, imagine giving someone a verbal warning for their poor punctuality only to find they’re late because they’ve been supporting with school drop-offs for their niece because their parents have been involved in a critical accident.

Some things are way more important than your existing problem.

How should you go about resolving conflict, then?

Here’s a really simple technique I use when addressing difficult conversations: the Five Whys principle. Ask “why?” to every successive answer five times.

This process leads you to a better understanding and helps you avoid unnecessary conflict.

How to manage the expectations of your team.

Other colleagues will be looking in from the outside. They might be expecting you to punish the employee, without knowing the full details.

But if you don’t communicate with the wider team, they may see this as an opportunity to flout the rules themselves and say, “If Robbie can get away with it, why should we bother turning up to work on time?”

Here’s how to nip that in the bud:

It’s a good idea to follow up with your team if anything changes or any new information comes to light.

(Related: How To Maximise Your Team’s Performance).

3. Let them save face.

If you’re winning an argument, don’t go for the jugular.

In How To Win Friends & Influence People, the classic published in 1936, one of the most profound tenets of Carnegie’s teachings is:

Too often, we ride roughshod over other people’s feelings just to get our own way. We find fault, criticise, and issue threats without considering the pain we inflict on the other person.

If you want to become public enemy #1 in your workplace, go fight every single trivial battle and show no mercy.

How do you hope to secure a promotion if the hiring manager is drinking buddies with the colleague whom you publicly chastised for turning up late?

Small world.

(Related: How To Write An Employee Reference Letter).

When Conflict Is Good.

If you’re in a leadership role or want to be an effective leader one day, this one’s for you.

Until now, we’ve painted conflict in a bit of a depressing light. Not all conflict needs to be swept under the rug. Symptoms of a lack of conflict include:

A disagreement doesn’t always need to be destructive. That energy can be channelled into challenging the status quo and exploring a new perspective.

(Related: 100 Thank You Message Ideas For Your Colleagues).

Conflict is the playground of the maverick.

During conflict, we raise questions about new ideas and achieve breakthroughs in thinking.

After plummeting sales, Jobs injected some life into the company with a rebrand and the launch of the new iMac.

You know the rest. Most of you are using one of his devices to read this right now.

Dan Helfrich, CEO of Deloitte Consulting LLP, says it best:

(Related: How To Write An Employee Termination Letter).

The difference between tension and friction.

Social environments are dynamic: tension is healthy conflict, friction is unhealthy conflict. When you’re experiencing tension, colleagues are moving towards the same goal but often have different means of getting there.

It feels:

Friction is when colleagues are unmotivated to move towards the same goal, and it feels as though:

Knowing the difference between tension and friction will save you a lot of trouble. If there is conflict in the workplace, and no one is listening, changing, or evolving, results will stagnate.

So will your career.

You must cultivate tension if you want your team to thrive.

How To Pick Your Battles.

You can’t just go into battle with everyone over every trivial frustration.

Sun Tzu quote (the ancient Chinese general and military strategist) says, “He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.”

And there’s one question you should ask yourself that will help you determine the trade-off.

The all-important question.

Before you engage in workplace conflict, ask yourself, “What’s in it for me?” Asking that helps you frame what you have to gain and lose. Quite often, we have more to lose than gain.

Some people set out to make a tonne of friends, but a more strategic angle would be to focus on making the fewest enemies.

That doesn’t mean you have to pussyfoot around others, though.

You already have the emotional intelligence required.

You’re already in the habit of picking your battles.

When the McDonald’s cashier forgot to give you ketchup with your order, but you only realised after you’d left the drive-thru, do you drive back and yell at them or get on with your day?

Trivial, right?

Some would drive back and go berserk, others would let it slide.

We all have different tolerance levels. What are yours? Is it possible that someone is being annoying, or is it possible that you’re way too emotionally invested?

Well, yes, once or twice.

But Jeff Bezos? Mark Zuckerberg? Warren Buffett?

Never.

The consequences of resolving conflict and ignoring it.

If you’re prepared to defend your viewpoint and assert yourself, you need to know the potential consequences.

But what are the consequences of not engaging?

Either way, we don’t have a crystal ball.

Humans are so unpredictable. The only behaviour you can control is your own. Is the likelihood of making an enemy high? If so, what kind of problems might such a person cause you if you do engage?

How To Hold People To Account Respectfully.

Patrick Lencioni, the author of the bestseller The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, developed a framework that shows the main obstacles preventing teams from reaching success.

All have their roots in conflict. But I want to hone in specifically on the concept of accountability – the enemy within our respective businesses.

When people start slacking, you need to learn how to frame your feedback so as not to trigger them (and others). Here’s how to hold people accountable.

1. Make the first move and address the elephant in the room.

If you hesitate or engage in small talk, waiting for the right opening in the conversation, you’re just wasting time, our most precious commodity.

When sitting down with a colleague to resolve conflicts, the chances are that you’re both wondering who is going to make the first move.

Make the first move and:

Always hear them out and give them a chance to share their perspective and insights when you’ve had your say.

2. Focus on behaviour, not personality.

There is a subtle art to giving feedback, and it involves choosing our words carefully. If we focus on the behaviour rather than the person, our feedback will be received in more positively.

For instance, which sounds better?

The former statement implies that the person is fundamentally flawed and unchangeable, whereas the latter implies that the flaw is a temporary issue that can be remedied.

(Related: Four Types Of Feedback Every Manager Must Know).

3. Minimise collateral damage.

Even in war, there are international rules and regulations on the use of certain weaponry and explosives.

Isn’t it crazy that the term “war crimes” is a thing? The rules are there to minimise and prevent collateral damage.

That’s what you need to do in the workplace.

If you have to challenge a person, isolate the issue with the person responsible for the issue.

Which is going to come across better?

Like It Or Not, You’re A Product Of Social Darwinian.

Let’s zoom out for a minute and look at human behaviour. In fact, scratch that; let’s look at animal behaviour.

Chimpanzees, our closest relatives in the animal kingdom, have a social hierarchy not dissimilar to ours.

After all, humans share about 99% of our DNA with chimpanzees.

Whether you like it or not, you’re living in a dynamic social hierarchy.

Okay, so we’re not as violent as our hairy cousins and don’t tear each other limb from limb during a dispute (even though you might sometimes have intrusive thoughts about a certain passive-aggressive “Karen”).

Adult chimpanzees acquire their dominance using aggression and coalitionary behaviour. Is that any different to how we humans operate?

Most of us are competing, climbing, and pursuing status, and conflict is the main ingredient of natural selection.

Power hierarchies vs. competence hierarchies.

I’m willing to bet that at some point in your career, you’ve looked at one leader and thought, “How the hell did they get into that position?” You only have to look at international politics for recent examples of overachievers.

You don’t have to be a chest-thumping alpha male to succeed in the 21st century. We’re in the Information Age, not the Stone Age.

Power is an ambiguous term.

Jordan Peterson, the modern-day philosopher and psychologist, suggests that instead of referring to them as power (or dominance) hierarchies, we should refer to them as competence hierarchies.

He says this because outright dominance isn’t always favoured.

Different hierarchies exist within different organisations.

Erik ten Hag’s disciplinarian strategy works at Manchester United (disclaimer: this may not age well), and Mikel Arteta’s softer approach works at Arsenal.

Wherever you sit in the hierarchy, whatever your leadership style, if you want to climb the social hierarchy, you need to know what the “currency” is for climbing.

Is it dominance, empathy, or something else?

Final Word On Conflict Resolution In The Workplace.

Two points of view don’t have to be mutually exclusive; we don’t have to be diametrically opposed to one another’s beliefs. A team member who argues that remote working increases productivity can be demonstrably right; so too can a manager who argues the opposite.

Beware of your automatic inclination to refute those who disagree with you, and always leave room for the possibility that you could be wrong.

None of us are infallible.

Tommy

Demand for employees with strong collaboration and communication skills has continued to climb – especially for hybrid and remote roles.

The idea will be self-evident if you’ve ever worked in an organisation with more than five people. Confusion, mistakes, mistrust and resentment tend to stem from poor communication in the workplace.

One study found that 86% of employees blame a lack of collaboration or ineffective communication for workplace failures.

As a manager, you must improve your communication capabilities to tackle the cultural and structural barriers preventing good communication across your workplace.

I’ve gathered 7 ways you can improve communication at work right away.

(Related: Top 21 Non-Cringey Zoom Ice Breakers).

Why Is Workplace Communication Important?

A work environment where communication is clear, regular, purposeful and constructive leads to:

That’s because communication – especially verbal communication – underpins almost every work activity.

An often-cited study published in the Journal of Communication found that we spend between 50% – 80% of every workday communicating, with two-thirds of that time spent talking.

Why Improve Workplace Communication Skills?

The State of Business Communication report by Grammarly shows that our ability to get work done strongly depends on how well we communicate with other team members.

Business leaders surveyed for the report said the main benefits of effective communication were:

But effective communication doesn’t happen by chance. It’s intentional.

Here’s an excellent example: research published in the Harvard Business Review found that high-performing teams are more than three times more likely to begin a new project by first discussing how they will work together (rather than simply assigning tasks and getting started).

(Related: Ultimate Guide To Delegation Of Authority).

Why Leaders Must Learn To Communicate Effectively.

If you’re a leader or frontline manager, your subordinates will expect you to set an example for what effective communication looks like.

Communication is contextual and time-sensitive, and getting your message across also depends on the mindset and preferences of your intended audience.

(Related: 9 Best Password Managers In Australia).

For example:

Your approach to communication in the workplace will also be influenced by whether you’re communicating:

7 Proven Ways To Improve Workplace Communication.

Best communicators constantly look for opportunities to improve their communication methods. I recommend you focus on one of the recommendations below each month.

1. Set Clear Expectations.

Build processes that outline how and when communication happens:

2. Invest Time And Resources.

Effective communication is not an afterthought. It’s a core part of your responsibilities as a manager or leader, which only happens when you set aside time in your calendar for:

(Related: How To Motivate Employees As A Manager).

3. Listen Actively.

A lot of young managers fall into the trap of believing that workplace communication means “better speaking ability”.

Listening is not just hearing, but understanding the other person’s worldview and responding to what they’re saying.

Practice active listening by setting aside what you think the other person is saying and making an earnest attempt to view the issue from their perspective.

For example, if a colleague is upset that they have to work overtime, you could respond in one of two ways:

(Related: Best Accounting Software In Australia).

4. Make Every Channel Earn Its Place.

When was the last time you audited the communication channels within your workplace?

You can reduce crossed wires by eliminating silos that inevitably occur as your organisation grows (or shrinks).

Take a closer look at:

5. Make Every Meeting Count (or cancel it).

Yes, some meetings are critical, and you need to have them face-to-face.

But I encourage you to look for opportunities to “step down” the bandwidth of your less important meetings. In other words:

If you decide that a meeting is necessary, be sure to:

6. Know Your Audience.

Ask employees to directly share their communication preferences and make the answers accessible to all team members (with permission, of course).

How do they like to receive information, and in what tone?

Consulting firm Sequoia encourages communication across its teams through the development of ‘user manuals’, written by each employee in response to prompts like ‘the best way to talk to me is’ and ‘how I prefer to deal with conflict is.’

7. Stick To Facts, Not Stories.

Do you have a person on your team who tends to ramble while the rest of you check out? You can help them communicate better by introducing the idea of “facts vs stories”:

For example, a customer complained about your team’s deliverables. That is a fact.

A customer complaining because they’re prejudiced against you, or they’re an angry person, or they’re a “bitch” are all stories. They’re not provable nor helpful.

But in the context of effective workplace communication, they can quickly become a distraction – and an indulgence for personalities who enjoy the limelight.

7 Communication Types To Master In The Workplace.

The main types of communication that occur in a typical Australian workplace are:

Final Words On Effective Workplace Communication.

If you’re in a leadership position, cultivate good communication skills by adopting a more curious and caring approach in your interactions with others.

By shifting your mindset, you’ll find it easier to recognise, prevent and repair problems.

For instance, rather than reacting impatiently when a direct report rambles or provides too much detail in a project update, you might:

With empathy, you can communicate your views more clearly, foster a more positive work environment, and become more effective at offering constructive feedback.

Jody

A well-written job description provides the foundation for hiring decisions that stick and helps new employees hit the ground running.

Managers who write effective job descriptions have a head-start in attracting and retaining the best people. Let me show you how.

(Related: 5 Types Of Feedback That Drive Team Performance).

What Is A Job Description?

Job descriptions, also known as position descriptions, document the key responsibilities, working conditions and daily tasks of a role.

They can be internal documents held by HR or publicly shared through your recruitment process.

Three reasons to write effective job descriptions are:

Are Job Descriptions Obsolete?

There’s no legal requirement to write job descriptions. But carefully structured job positions can:

What To Include In A Job Post?

A major reason people resist writing job descriptions, or let them become out-of-date, is that they’re not equipped to comprehensively define and document their structures, work models, responsibilities, workflows, processes, benefits or team cultures.

Ideally, a hiring manager and HR specialist or recruiter will work together to:

This exercise prepares you to write a clear job description, but how should you structure the actual document?

Firstly, some notes on formatting:

The best job descriptions also include:

1. A Meaningful Job Title.

Include keywords and industry terms that qualified candidates actually use, rather than your internal hierarchies, lingo or program names.

Spicing up job titles with trendy terms can confuse the issue for best-fit candidates—for instance, including the term ‘social media’ in the job title for a role primarily focused on public relations management.

2. Job Type, Location and Conditions.

It’s important to clarify whether the role is full-time, part-time or something else, whether it’s permanent or a contract, and where exactly the future employee will carry out their work.

You might also include details about:

(Related: What Is The Best Formal Letter Format?)

3. A Compelling Company Description.

Summarise the role and how it fits into the broader company structure and contributes to your company mission, purpose, strategies or goals — touch on the importance of the role in realising these company objectives.

You might also cover some top-tier benefits of belonging to your organisation and what makes your company unique. What will the employee gain from working there?

4. Team Dynamics And Culture.

Cover the basics like to whom the new position reports, how the team operates, and important relationships or shared processes with other departments or external suppliers.

Aim to describe what working in the team looks and feels like, such as:

Strengthen your employee brand by communicating the company values and examples of how these are expressed day-to-day within the team.

5. Core Responsibilities And Job Duties.

Provide a list of the specific tasks and operations performed regularly, including technical matters. You might also describe any important outcomes the person in the role should strive towards.

You may also want to clarify the limits of their responsibility or accountability.

6. Required Skills, Knowledge, And Qualifications.

A common approach is to outline:

A targeted approach to writing this section is critical, so you don’t exclude or deter people who lack some elements but are a good match otherwise.

Include only the most relevant requirements and rank them in terms of importance, so people can tell whether it’s a must-have or a nice-to-have.

7. Goals, Milestones And Timeframes.

If you already have performance management metrics for a role, you can include them in the job description.

Or you might define key outputs you expect the new hire to deliver across the first one to six months.

8. Compensation And Perks.

This includes a breakdown of the salary range, superannuation and standard employee benefits offered.

You could also include details about performance review and salary increase cycles, how your company manages internal promotions, bonuses, stock options, training budgets, reward and recognition programs, and succession planning.

It’s an opportunity to convey the full breadth of opportunities for reward and advancement. 

How To Describe Duties And Responsibilities.

Be realistic about the depth and breadth of activities and outcomes you can expect from a single human being.  

Be specific when describing tasks and why they matter:

Be honest about the work involved, but try to convey how different activities challenge or develop the person, or make an impact within the company or industry. An increase in job scope is a motivating factor— especially for active job seekers. 

(Related: Ultimate Guide To Employee Onboarding).

Don’t limit a person’s opportunity to innovate or use their creativity and initiative. Showcase tasks enabling the new hire to improve and enhance your business’s operations.

How To Sell Your Job To Job Seekers.

Changing jobs is one of the hardest decisions people make and it comes with risks—financial, emotional and physiological.

If a person makes the wrong choice, their career, relationships and well-being can suffer through increased stress and stalled progress.

Write your job description with this question in mind: ‘Why should a person choose your company and care about this role specifically?’

(Related: What Is Human Capital Management?)

How To Make Your Company More Attractive To Candidates.

Hiring is a marketing exercise as well as an HR process. Landing talented people is similar to lead generation—it works better when people feel like they know and trust you.

Include relevant details about:

(Related: Ultimate Guide To Psychometric Testing).

Top 3 Mistakes To Avoid When Writing Job Descriptions.

Let’s discuss the common traps that HR professionals fall into.

1. Discriminatory, Cliched Or Negative Language.

Are the words, phrases and requirements you’re including inclusive, or putting up unnecessary barriers?

or example, are you using aggressive language with a masculine tone or implying that only young people would fit your culture?

Also avoid:

2. Impossible, Unwieldy Expectations.

It’s probably unrealistic to expect a marketing graduate to be proficient in three different kinds of enterprise software and be able to both write incredibly well and also be able to produce professional-grade videos.

Also, job seekers and employees relying on the job description will lose focus if the lists of job responsibilities and skills are too long and complicated.

3. Not Keeping It Current.

Your job description will become misaligned unless you keep reviewing and tweaking it to match what’s required in the role right now.

Update job descriptions regularly to reflect changing skill sets, such as new hard skills required to use new business technologies or soft skills that match an updated policy direction.

Write A Job Description That Works.

Lazily-compiled job descriptions can create walls that qualified candidates may not be willing to overcome.

A compelling job description can be a rich resource that convinces potential candidates they’ll love working for you, kick-starts the hiring process, and helps you manage a person’s performance moving forward.

Follow these few tips on how to write a good job description to improve the effectiveness of your recruitment efforts.

Irene

Whether you’re a new people leader, or have a few years under your belt, one is likely at the top of your mind every day: Your potential for impact is immense. But how you motivate employees can make or break your team’s work environment and, in turn, your career.

Skeptical? Check out the research below.

Employees leave managers first and foremost — not so much roles or companies:

More to the point, Gallup found that 70% of the variance in employee engagement depends on the manager.

So, how can you become one of those management “greats” who has mastered the art of employee motivation and engagement?

1. Set Clear Expectations.

Employment is a relationship. And like any relationship, clearly communicating what is expected from both parties is essential to fostering harmony, productivity, respect and mutual fulfilment.

Sounds simple enough, right? However, many business and personal relationships go awry due to unclear expectations. We’ve all been there.

A. Revisit Each Job Description.

Are you one of those managers who relies on HR to write your team’s job descriptions? If so, likely, they never see the light of day past the hiring stage.

From day one – and throughout their career journey.

Now, grab one of your team’s job descriptions. Evaluate it against these three criteria:

(Related: 9 Best Password Managers In Australia).

B. Encourage Open Dialogue.

Sure, most managers use a job description during recruiting and hiring. That’s a no-brainer.

But using a job description beyond the hiring stage – as a useful tool to help your employees grow and progress – is one of the newest ideas in motivational management.

To know if you and your direct reports are on the right course, dust off the job description at least once a quarter and review it with each of your employees. Discuss the following during your meeting:

(Related: How To Improve Workplace Productivity).

2. Overcommunicate Your Company’s Mission.

We’ve all seen those posters in the breakroom and on corporate websites. You know the ones – there’s likely a pyramid that spells out the company’s mission, vision and values.

This is unfortunate since these words are meant to communicate your company’s big-picture North Star, and keep employees motivated.

Actions speak louder than words.

Consider every instance you interact with your team as a group or individually.

These could be daily stand-up meetings, weekly team meetings, or regular 1:1’s you have with your direct reports. Look for opportunities to communicate.

It should feel like you’re overdoing it.

3. Foster A Sense Of Belonging.

According to PwC’s 2022 Global Workplace Hopes and Fears, 75% of employees said they wanted to work for an organisation that positively contributes to society.

While more money is a huge motivator, it’s not enough.

The chart below outlines how over 50,000 employees worldwide want to feel at work – all of which can be impacted by how you both live and articulate your company’s mission, vision and values regularly.

This study proves that when your employees feel a personal tie to the company’s mission, they’re more likely to give of themselves in exchange for the reward of meaningful work.

Check out these 3 key steps below to help employees feel more connected and motivated:

1. Be Yourself.

Transparency and authenticity are easy when things are going well, but it’s especially important when hard news needs to be delivered.

2. Be Inspirational.

An employee’s morale can be low for many reasons but let’s explore one that is project-related.

3. Live Your Values.

Similar to communicating company values, actions speak louder than words when building positive employee relationships.

As such, your own values as a manager have the potential to motivate your employees in a more personal, lasting way.

4. Offer Constructive Feedback.

Let’s face it. Offering feedback comes naturally when someone has knocked it out of the park.

But when a moment arises where an employee has acted in a way that contradicts your company’s mission and values, suddenly offering feedback is not so fun. Or natural.

However, it is possible to make any positive or negative feedback constructive.

A. Use The Mission And Values.

Easier said than done, you say? Check out the example below for inspiration.

Situation:

In a group brainstorming session, one of your employees shoots down a blue-sky idea offered by another team member for the reason that “this will never work here because of X, Y and Z.”

In this situation, your response might be a two-part approach.

Part 1

In the moment, in the session, you (in an upbeat, non-judgmental way) remind everyone that one of your company values is “Think Big.”

The group then spends 5-10 minutes brainstorming whether or not the “big idea” is worth working into the company roadmap.

Part 2

Check in with the employee who shot down the idea and the one who offered the idea. Ask them, in a non-defensive way, what their intention was and what happened from their point of view.

Hearing their story will help you uncover the root cause of that employee’s behaviour.

Take this opportunity to reinforce the company’s values and reiterate that the whole team exists to support the company’s overall mission.

5. Create A Personalised Career Roadmap.

Now that both you and your team are clear on and behaving according to your company’s mission, vision and values, it’s time to get personal.

Seek to understand each employee’s motivations and create a plan where their job helps them achieve it. Where possible, create a win/win.

(Related: 100 Personalised Thank You Message Ideas).

A.  Framing The Conversation.

Begin with their job description. Assess it together and ask for their ideas on which skills are being used to their fullest and which aren’t. This leads naturally to the next bullet.

Finally, discuss how goals can be personal and career-related and that either could be tied to money.  

Examples are powerful inspiration, so here’s one for you.

Situation:

An employee shares that they want to put a $100,000 deposit on their first family home within 2 years. They love what they do at your company and want to make this happen within the context of working there.

Follow these 5 steps to create a successful roadmap for your employee.

Key Questions:

B. Formal Development Options.

If your company has a formal employee development program, consider making it a part of this plan.

If your company doesn’t offer a formal program, get creative and think about other ways to help your employees grow and reach their goals.

(Related: How To Improve Employee Engagement In Your Business).

Whether you’re looking at conferences, courses, mentors or stretch assignments as mentioned above, the 60/20/20 approach is a good rule of thumb:

Whatever plan you create together, never forget that your goal as a manager to motivate your employees to do their best work and to stay with your company in the long run.

Actively involve yourself in their future plans, always tying them back to what is best for the business and what the company stands for.

Final Thoughts On How To Motivate Employees As A Manager.

Your journey as a manager will be filled with highs and lows, conflicts and resolutions, wins and losses.

While it may often feel like an emotional rollercoaster, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the ride. Especially if you retain the theme, we’ve been driving home throughout this guide.

The impact of your company’s mission and values cannot be overstated. You can never communicate about them too much. Make a plan and stick to it.

Involve your team in the conversation; the rewards will far outweigh the effort.

Irene