“Did anyone else notice the Teams explosion last night?” Mel set her coffee down and shook her head. “Three project leads, all saying their stream is the top priority. Not a single one matches what I thought we were focusing on.”

Zoe laughed, but it was tired. “I spent half my morning trying to fix double bookings. Two teams fighting over the same people for workshops, same time slot. We’re meant to be the eCMO, right? Sometimes it feels like herding cats.”

Raj looked up from his laptop. “We all leave meetings nodding along. Then everyone goes back to their team and does something different. It’s like we’re all rowing hard, but the boat just spins in place.”

Zoe rolled her eyes. “And if I get one more ‘urgent’ email about something I’ve never heard of, I might just start deleting them for fun.”

Mel grinned. “It’s not that we’re not working hard. It’s just… we’re not working together.”

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“Did anyone else see the little green dots last night?” asked Rowan, dropping their bag and squinting at the screen. “I logged off at 9:45pm, and it looked like half the team was still online.”

Alisha yawned. “Yeah. Guilty. I was finishing the stakeholder map with my Sleepy Time tea at 10. Then I saw you pop back on at 6:02 this morning.”

Jared groaned. “That was me too. I woke up thinking about the comms pack, so just rolled over and opened the laptop. My calendar today is wall‑to‑wall. It’s the only time I had to do it. Pretty sure Sori was online first thing too…”

Sori tugged on her hoodie sleeve. “Yep, I got a head start on that new deck at 5:50am because it’s the only time I can focus without interruptions. By 8, it’s meetings, pings and calls nonstop. It’s exhausting… We’re doing all this work in the margins of our real job.”

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“Anyone else getting frostbite from the industry reps committee?” asked Mel, dropping her bag and scanning her inbox. “I’ve followed up three times this week. One‑word replies… then silence.”

“Procurement’s the same,” said Jae. “We set up showcases, extra check‑ins, that dashboard they wanted, so why does the relationship feel worse, not better. Seriously, WTF?”

Tariq rubbed his eyes. “Yeah, I know. It’s so weird. We built a whole engagement plan to warm things up, but somehow it’s doing the opposite. More meetings, more pings, more reporting… more prickly.”

Pia closed her notebook. “Maybe our pace is the problem? We’ve been treating this like a constant code blue. They’re saturated. I know this sounds counterintuitive, but what if we stop adding more and pull back? Fewer touchpoints, more space, one clear ask, with a longer runway for folks?”

Mel paused, then nodded. “Honestly, I’d love to stop chasing. Let’s try it.”

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“Anyone else feel like they work at Meetings Pty Ltd?” Lina dropped into a chair with her lunch… at 3:10pm.

“Back-to-back since eight. I’ve moved the same to-do three days in a row.” Marcus held up his calendar like it was Exhibit A.

“Same. We talk about the work all day and somehow never do the work.” Priyanka nodded. “I counted yesterday. Seven meetings. Zero decisions.”

Lina checked the clock and grinned. “Let’s try something new. Today, we cut our meetings in half.”

Marcus blinked, “Half?”

“Yep,” Priyanka said. “Fifteen is the new thirty. Let’s try it for a week and see what breaks.”

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“Can we have a quick check before the steering committee?” said Narelle, flipping through her notes. “We’ve explained the benefits, shared the roadmap, and even ran a demo. Our external partner still doesn’t buy it. Feels like we’ve tried everything. They’re impossible!"

“Yep! I’ve thrown every deck at them,” replied Yusuf. “For the system rollout, they want to see it work with their data. And for the new operating model, they want guarantees service won’t slip.”

Narelle sighed. “Fark… okay. Less convincing, more proving. Let’s design tests they define - and we’ll run.”

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“Alright, everyone, just a quick reminder to check the weekly project update I sent yesterday,” said Ben, glancing around the meeting room with hopeful optimism.

Maya didn’t look up from her laptop. “Wait, was that the one with the new dashboard screenshots, or the one about the training schedule?”

Ben hesitated. “Both, actually. I tried to keep it short this time. Just three bullet points and a GIF.”

From the back of the room, Zoe piped up, “Sorry, Ben, I’m still catching up on last week’s update. My inbox is a graveyard of unread project emails.”

Ben forced a laugh. “At this point, I’m tempted to hide a winning lotto ticket in there and see if anyone notices.”

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“Alright, everyone, just a quick reminder to check the weekly project update I sent yesterday,” said Ben, glancing around the meeting room with hopeful optimism.

Maya didn’t look up from her laptop. “Wait, was that the one with the new dashboard screenshots, or the one about the training schedule?”

Ben hesitated. “Both, actually. I tried to keep it short this time. Just three bullet points and a GIF.”

From the back of the room, Zoe piped up, “Sorry, Ben, I’m still catching up on last week’s update. My inbox is a graveyard of unread project emails.”

Ben forced a laugh. “At this point, I’m tempted to hide a winning lotto ticket in there and see if anyone notices.”

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“Morning, team—can we pull up the usage stats for our digital platforms?” Julia, Director of the eCMO, asked as she strode into the meeting room, coffee in hand and a purposeful glint in her eye.

Navdeep flicked through a dizzying array of dashboards on the meeting room AV screen. “Which one, Jules? Are we talking Teams, ServiceNow, Slack, Monday, Miro, or… ummm, that new dashboard?”

Julia gave a wry smile.

“That’s just it. We’ve got twelve platforms and a ton of ways to ‘collaborate’, but so far, adoption is patchy and the complaints are piling up. People are confused about which tool to use, when, and why. We need a way to help everyone focus on what matters most, without overwhelming them.”

Sophie chimed in, “Honestly, if I have to update my status in one more app, I’ll need a sticky note just to track my sticky notes.”

Julia nodded. “Yeah. Alright, let’s get practical. What if we ran a campaign to spotlight just the top platforms everyone actually needs to know about and use?”

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“Alright, team, we’ve all got another online module to complete this week,” announced Imran, glancing around at everyone in the team meeting and on the screen.

Harriet groaned, pulling her scarf tighter. “Is this the one about the new HR system, or the cybersecurity refresher?”

Imran checked his notes. “Both, actually. And there’s a feedback quiz at the end of both as well.”

Harriet exchanged a look with Minh, who whispered, “If I have to watch one more animated explainer video, I’m gonna start talking like a chatbot.”

The group chuckled, but the energy was flat.

Everyone’s eyes glazed over at the thought of more online training, and someone quietly closed yet another Zoom tab.

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“Alright, team, just a quick update about the new reporting process,” said Mel, trying to sound upbeat as she wheeled her chair closer to the meeting table.

Ash raised an eyebrow and leaned back, arms crossed. “Which new process is this? Number four or five for this year so far?”

A ripple of laughter rolled around the room.

Someone on Teams muttered, “Wake me up when it’s over,” and another in the room added, “Can’t wait for the next ‘game-changing’ announcement lol.”

Mel paused, feeling the weight of every eye-roll.

She glanced at the window, where the drizzle outside matched the mood inside. “I get it,” she said, half-smiling. “Feels like we’ve all earned a PhD in ‘change’ this year.”

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“Alright, let’s get started!” grinned Sienna, clicking to share her screen as the Tuesday morning chill settled over the conference room.

Everyone sat at round tables, clutching coffees and rubbing their hands together, hoping the new platform would finally make life easier.

She clicked “launch.”

Nothing happened.

A spinning wheel.

A few hopeful clicks. Still nothing.

From the back, Max whispered, “Try turning it off and on again?”

Sienna forced a laugh, feeling her cheeks flush. “Don’t worry, this always works in the test environment…”

The silence stretched. Someone coughed. The aircon clunked. JFC.

They’d travelled to Adelaide and gathered 50 people in the room for this!

“Classic,” muttered Max. “Tech’s got stage fright.”

Sienna took a breath. “Well, everyone, looks like we’re in for a bit of a show. Bear with me, we’ll improvise.”

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“Morning, team. Got a minute?” Addie hovered in the doorway, her laptop hugged to her chest, and rain still glistening on her jacket.

The heating was struggling against the chill, and everyone in the open-plan office had their hands clasped around mugs, trying to coax a bit of warmth into their fingers.

Noah looked up from his notes, sensing the change in mood. “Uh oh. That’s your ‘brace yourself’ face,” he said, half-joking, but with a hint of worry.

Addie tried for a smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I wish it wasn’t. I’ve just come out of a call with exec. There’s been a complete change in direction. They want to go with a different model. The rollout’s on hold for now, and I know this is the last thing anyone wants to hear.”

A heavy silence settled over the table, broken only by the distant sound of rain against the windows.

Someone shifted in their chair. Noah put down his pen and met Addie’s eyes. “Fu….. Right. What do we tell the team?”

Addie nodded, grateful for the solidarity. “Let’s work out how to break it honestly, but without breaking their spirit. They deserve the truth - and a bit of hope, too.”

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Asha poked her head into the meeting room, her arms full of printed handouts. “Hey, can someone help set up for the training session?”

Martin barely glanced up from his laptop. “Sorry, Asha. My calendar’s back-to-back. Besides, isn’t that more of the change team’s thing?”

Asha stifled a sigh. “It’s actually everyone’s thing, Martin. The new system’s going live next week.”

Martin shrugged, flicking to his next meeting. “Yeah, but I’m just here to keep the lights on. You lot are the change experts.”

Asha rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, “Classic. If it’s not in the job description, it’s invisible.”

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“Anyone heard back from the finance team?” asked Layla, peering hopefully over her monitor.

Josh shook his head, scrolling through his inbox. “Nope. Sent them a follow-up last week. Still radio silence.”

Layla sighed, rolling her eyes. “I’ve sent two emails to Nala and Joe, I’ve been messaging them, called, and even tried the old ‘reply-all’ trick. FML. At this point, I’d have more luck getting a response from my teenager.”

Josh grinned. “Maybe they’re all on a secret retreat somewhere. Or they’ve just seen the subject line and thought, ‘Not today, thanks.’”

Layla laughed, but the frustration was real. “If I get left on read one more time, I’m going to start sending carrier pigeons. Or maybe a singing telegram.”

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"Just got off a call. The COO wants to tweak the rollout. Again," said Kavita, rubbing her forehead.

Luca glanced up from his laptop, half-smiling. "Classic EOFY drama. If it’s not a last-minute change, is it even June?"

Kavita sighed. "I know we need to deliver, but rushing now could mean mistakes. There’s got to be a smarter way."

End of financial year brings a special kind of chaos, doesn’t it: tight deadlines, shifting priorities, and a sudden flurry of “urgent” changes.

The pressure to say yes and push things through is real.

But we’ve discovered that the best change managers know: how you handle the rush matters more than how fast you move.

Rushing through late-breaking features and/or changes to your approach can create confusion, introduce risk, and put both you and your stakeholders under unnecessary stress.

But with the right tactics, you can respond with confidence and keep quality high—even when it feels like you have no time to think.

If this is something you’re dealing with now, here are a couple of useful ideas:

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"How are you holding up?" asked Zoe as she set down a tray of coffees in the meeting room.

"Yesterday was back-to-back meetings, 200 emails, and a crisis at 4:45 pm. I’m cooked,” replied Musa, managing a tired smile. "Honestly, I think we’re all running on fumes. It’s just… so much at once."

Zoe nodded. "I get it. June is always a slog. But we can’t let the wheels fall off now."

Musa stretched. "Any ideas for keeping the team going without burning everyone out?"

Let’s be real, sometimes the pressure at this time of year is insane, and it’s easy to put your own well-being last when you’re focused on supporting others.

But your energy, mindset, and example set the tone for those around you.

Here are a couple of suggestions to help you recharge and help your team do the same - even when it feels like there’s no time.

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"How’s your week looking?" asked Tahlia, glancing at her overflowing inbox.

Eddie let out a breath. "Let’s see… I’ve got three presentations, two reports, a workshop on Thursday, and of course, that new feature launch. Oh, and I promised Joe we’d finish the training before Friday."

Tahlia grinned. "Classic end of financial year - everything, everywhere, all at once."

Eddie nodded. "Honestly, I’m just hoping nothing serious slips through the cracks."

End of financial year in Australia is notorious for last-minute deadlines, budget wrangling, and a relentless parade of urgent deliverables.

For us change folks, it’s a perfect storm: business-as-usual ramps up, but transformation work can’t afford to stall.

When everyone’s stretched thin, change activities often risk being deprioritised, rushed, or quietly dropped. But with the right strategies, you can keep momentum (and your sanity!) intact.

Here’s some of our favourite tactics in moments like these:

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"Look at this - every milestone’s ticked off!" said Minh, waving the latest project dashboard at Aisha.

Aisha raised an eyebrow. "Impressive, but… have you noticed people are still using the old process? I sat in on a team meeting yesterday - no one mentioned the new system once."

Minh frowned. "But this is showing all green?"

Aisha leant over, looked at Minh’s iPad and shook her head. "Nah, that dashboard is all about tracking deliverables and making the project look good to the exec. It’s not showing whether or not the change has actually landed with folks..."

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"Do you think this will land well with everyone?" asked Mia, glancing at the draft communication plan.

Her colleague Jamal paused. "It’s a start, but have we thought about how this change impacts our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders? Or whether it reflects their experiences?"

Mia frowned. "Good point. We’ve consulted the leadership team, but… not those communities."

Jamal nodded. "If we want this change to work for everyone, we need to make sure it’s culturally safe. Otherwise, we risk causing harm - and excluding the very people we should be centring."

Mia grabbed her notebook. "Yeah, you're right! Ok, let’s rethink this approach..."

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"Can we push the workshop to next month?" asked Riya, barely looking up from her laptop. "We’ve got a major report due, and I just can’t spare the team right now."

Alan leaned back in his chair, trying not to let his frustration show.

It wasn’t the first time he’d heard this excuse, and it probably wouldn’t be the last.

Every time he tried to prioritise the change initiative, something more ‘urgent’ seemed to pop up.

He couldn’t blame them—everyone was juggling competing priorities.

But if the change kept getting bumped, it would never get the momentum it needed.

"Alright," he thought, flipping open his notebook. "Time to cut through the noise and make this change stick."

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