Have you seen the new government advertising campaign aimed at educating us how to use less fuel? Simple changes such as removing roof racks to reduce wind drag, pumping up tyres to decrease friction on the road, and lightening the load by emptying unwanted weight items floating around in the boot of your car all make a significant difference over time. 

It’s the same at work. What is causing that drag? Are your tyres flat? Are you carrying a heavier load than you need to? 

Last week I was listening to a GM say she is sitting all day in back to back online meetings without a break. Because of this she finds little benefit in going to the office. But her home office doesn’t have a standing desk, so her posture, strength and fitness are deteriorating day by day. Not to mention her mindset. 

She has an important role in a large organization, and I wondered how she can get any work done with so many meetings. It seems the organisation in question expects her to work late and on weekends on her personal deliverables. For how long is that sustainable? And how effective is it anyway? 

If we expect people to work in sprint mode continuously, we need to be reducing the drag, removing unnecessary load, and designing work so that individuals and teams work optimally. 

Psychosocial risk assessments are not just about bullying and harassment. They should be assessing everything from work design, company expectations, support for roles and individual’s job control. This is not so easy for the poor WHS officer tasked with the risk assessment. 

Tools like anonymous surveys can bring clarity to what often sits beneath the surface – the hidden drag, the unspoken load. They give voice to patterns that may otherwise go unnoticed and allow the WHS function to step into a more strategic role, translating insight into action. 

Future Fit organisations don’t just ask people to go faster and harder, they create the conditions that make sustainable performance possible. They are deliberate about what stays, what shifts, and what gets removed. 

So, where is the unnecessary load in your organisation? And what are you prepared to change to ensure your people can perform at their best, consistently?