As winter grips much of Australia and the new financial year kicks off, a sense of fatigue seems to settle over many workplaces.
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That early-year buzz has worn off, deadlines have drained us, and the enthusiasm we once had might feel like a distant memory. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone - and more importantly, itâs entirely normal. But that doesnât mean you have to sit in the slump. Now is the perfect moment for a reset.
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The Mid-Year Slump: Why It Happens
The beginning of the year often comes with energy, clarity, and drive.
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Teams return from their Christmas breaks ready to tackle new goals, strategies, and visions. Q1 feels fun, energetic, light, clear.
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But then April hits. With its patchwork of Public Holidays, school breaks, and long weekends, April throws off the rhythm that you had going. By the time May and June roll around, that once-high energy is sputtering. Even if business is booming, internal motivation often dips.
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Winter doesnât help either. ...
Amongst all the noise of the recent federal budget season the federal election cycle, the Australian Government dropped a quiet but potentially game-changing announcement for business owners: the proposed ban on non-compete clauses in employment contracts.
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For many, this might seem like a subtle shift, but its implications could be significant - especially for small business owners who rely on these clauses to protect their client base, intellectual property and competitive edge.
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Letâs unpack what this means, whoâs impacted, and what business owners should be thinking about now.
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First, What Is a Non-Compete Clause?
A non-compete clause is a section in an employment contract designed to prevent an employee from working for a competitor or starting a competing business for a certain period of time after leaving your organisation. These clauses often:
If you've ever found yourself wondering why your team isnât quite hitting the mark - despite being full of good people - youâre not alone.
Managing a team can sometimes feel harder than it should. Things arenât falling apart, but thereâs a constant sense of being bogged down in people problems, indecision, and micromanagement.
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Hereâs the truth: your team likely isnât underperforming due to lack of skill or effort.
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More often than not, whatâs missing are a few foundational elements that no one ever taught us to prioritise. And your team? They wonât ask for these things, but they need them to thrive.
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Letâs break down the three things every team needs from their leader (even if they donât know how to ask).
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As Brene Brown says âclear is kind, unclear is unkindâ â itâs not just a great quote, creating clarity for your team is one of the foundations of effective leadership. And yet, most team issues can be traced back to one root cause: a lack of clear expectat...
At the time of writing this article, the Fair Work Commission has recently handed down its decision following the Annual Minimum Wage Review process. The process involves the Commission reviewing submissions from various interested parties, including employer and employee representative groups, as well as analysing data relating to wages, such as changes to cost of living and alike.
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What is The Annual Minimum Wage Review
Essentially, they are looking to ensure that the minimum wages set out in the Fair Work Act, including the National Minimum Wage, as well as al Award minimum rates of pay, is set at an appropriate level for our current economic conditions.
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What Else is Changing
In addition to the National Minimum Wage and Award Rate changes, we are in still the midst of a raft of changes to Industrial Relations legislation, which applies to not only wages, but various other aspects of the employment relationship.
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Keeping up with compliance obligations is one of the key pa...
Probationary periods are one of those workplace mechanisms that many employers use without truly understanding their purpose, or their legal limitations.
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They seem simple on the surface: a set timeframe to trial a new hire. But scratch beneath that and youâll find a surprising amount of confusion, especially when it comes to how these periods interact with Australia's employment laws.
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Whether youâre onboarding a new team member or reviewing your hiring process, itâs time to unpack what probationary periods really meanâand how to use them effectively.
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What Is a Probationary Period, Really?
Most employers view probation as a built-in trial, but thatâs not quite accurate. Legally, thereâs no such thing as a probationary period in the Fair Work Act or modern awards. Thereâs no mandatory timeframe. In fact, the term âprobationary periodâ only has weight if itâs specifically outlined in an employment contract.
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Essentially, itâs a contractual clause, not a legal safety net. I...
Australiaâs employment landscape is in for yet another shake-up following the Fair Work Commission's recent findings on gender undervaluation across several modern awards.
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Following the 2024 announcement as part of the National Minimum Wage review process that the Commission planned to undertake a targeted review of specific Awards to assess whether gender undervaluation was an issue, they have recently announced the results of their findings.
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This isn't just another round of compliance updates, it's a targeted response to the ongoing gender pay gap, and it's set to impact a vast number of workers, and employers of all sizes across the country. If you're an employer in allied health, community services, or childcare, it's time to take note.
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The Gender Pay Gap Gets Real Attention
The issue of the gender pay gap has been debated for years, but recent government and Fair Work Commission efforts are moving from discussion to action. The Commission launched a Gender Undervaluat...
Youâve probably heard of the 80/20 ruleâalso known as the Pareto Principle. Itâs the idea that 80% of your outcomes often come from just 20% of your efforts. In business, it might show up in your client revenue, your sales results, or even your task list.
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But thereâs one place this principle shows up over and over againâand it can quietly make or break your success: your team.
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In many businesses, a small portion of the team is responsible for the lionâs share of results, while another small portion takes up most of the time, energy and attention. And if this imbalance isnât addressed, it can lead to burnout, frustration, and stalled growth.
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Letâs explore what the 80/20 dynamic looks like in a teamâand how to reset the balance.
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When 20% of Your Team Delivers 80% of the Results
First, take a moment to think about your team. Who are your high performers? The ones who are always reliable, get things done without being asked, and consistently push the business forward?
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...If your team is growing but your diary is still jam-packed, your stress is climbing, and your inbox is overflowing with things only you seem to be able to answer⌠thereâs a good chance youâre missing one crucial piece of your organisational puzzle.
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Most business owners hit a point where the team has grown, the work has scaled, but theyâre still stuck in the middle of everything.
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Constantly managing people. Fixing problems. Running out of time. It's frustrating, exhausting, and makes you wonder if growing a team was ever worth it.
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Hereâs the good news: it doesnât have to be this way. Thereâs one role that can change everythingâand it might just be the game changer your business needs.
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Are You Experiencing Growing Pains?
There are some common warning signs that suggest your business is ready for a structural shift:
Managing a team isnât easy. And for many business owners, itâs the one part of business theyâd gladly give up. If youâve ever found yourself thinking, âI love my business⌠I just wish I didnât have to manage people,â youâre not alone.
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The reality is, leading a team can feel hard because most of us never learned how to do itâwe just fell into it. You start a business, you grow, you hire people⌠and then you wonder why it still feels like a struggle. The truth? A lot of it comes down to how you leadâand whether that leadership style is helping or hindering your team.
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Thereâs No One-Size-Fits-All Boss
Forget the textbook leadership models. This isnât about theoryâitâs about real business, real teams, and real challenges.
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After working with thousands of business owners over the last two decades, a clear pattern has emerged. There are four boss types that most leaders fall into. And understanding which one you are is the key to leading more effectively (and with a lot less stre...
Hiring a team is supposed to free you up, not tie you down. Yet many business owners find themselves busier than ever after building a team. If youâre wondering why everything still lands on your plateâeven with staff in placeâyouâre not alone.
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Youâve made the hires, built the infrastructure, and handed over the reins, at least youâve tried to on paper. But youâre still working late, making every decision, solving every problem, and answering every question.
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Why? Because building a team doesn't automatically mean you're leading one effectively.
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The problem isn't youâor your team. Itâs in the structure, the clarity, and the mindset with which the team was formed.
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The Myth That Hiring Automatically Reduces Your Workload
This is the most common trap: thinking more people equals less work.
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Itâs easy to believe that bringing more bodies into the business will mean things will run themselves.
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But unless you have the right roles, the right structure, and clear directi...
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