In the rapidly shifting landscape of modern work, few perspectives are as influential as that of Mark Cruth, a "modern work coach" at Atlassian, the company renowned for its collaboration tools like Jira, Trello, and Confluence. Cruth’s role is differentiated within his field as he focuses on guiding Atlassian’s internal teams and its customers in navigating the complexities of distributed work—a challenge that has only been highlighted in the post-pandemic world.
We had the opportunity to sit down with Cruth as he shared his insights on the future of work, the importance of intentional practices, and the key to fostering meaningful workplace engagement in a world where many workers feel increasingly disconnected.
At Atlassian, Cruth’s job is not about using the tools the company is famous for. Instead, it’s about redefining how work is done within the company and for its customers. "A beautiful part of my role is I don't deal with those tools very often. I deal with our ways of working within Atlassian," Cruth explained. As a modern work coach, he can craft strategies that help teams work more intentionally, especially in a distributed environment.
As we've grown, teams have had to figure out how they work together when they're not together. And so part of my role is to help our teams think about that and get more intentional
Atlassian, a fully distributed company, offers employees the flexibility to work from anywhere, but this freedom generally comes with challenges. Teams must learn to collaborate effectively even when not physically together, an issue in numerous corporations. Cruth’s mission is to help teams at Atlassian—and beyond—overcome these challenges.
One way that Cruth went about helping teams collaborate and feel workplace connectivity is through the concept of "intentional work practices." Many companies struggled to maintain productivity and engagement as the world adapted to remote work during the pandemic. Therefore, Cruth believes that there is a need for more intentionality in how work is organized and executed.
If we don't get intentional about how we work, we will just slide back
Some of these practices, though untraditional, have helped teams bond and work better together. Cruth used the metaphor of "The Backwards Bicycle," a video that illustrates how difficult it is to change ingrained habits. The video shows a man struggling to ride a bicycle with reversed handlebars, a powerful analogy for the challenges organizations face when adopting new working methods. "We have ruts in terms of our patterns and practices, and if we come out of it, we start building some stuff, but we're not intentional, so we'll slide right back," Cruth noted. He believes this is why many organizations that quickly adopted remote work practices during the pandemic have since reverted to old habits—they never genuinely committed to changing how they work.
The conversation naturally turned to workplace engagement, which has significantly declined in recent years. Cruth offered a nuanced perspective on engagement in today’s work environment. "Engagement has to do with a couple of different things, and it has to do with one meaning and purpose—not in a super-manic perspective, but actually in the sense of, 'What am I doing? And why am I doing it?'" he explained.
We designed an Intentional Togetherness program to rebuild critical connections
Cruth emphasized the importance of connection in maintaining engagement. As teams became more isolated during the pandemic, many workers began to feel disconnected from their work and colleagues. To counter this, Atlassian introduced an "Intentional Togetherness" program to bring people together and rebuild those critical connections. "It's amazing how if you're apart for a while and then you come together, you almost re-solidify that purpose," Cruth said, highlighting how reconnection can rejuvenate a sense of belonging and enthusiasm for work.
Cruth also shared practical advice on creating a positive work environment, even in a distributed setting. "You have to be intentional with those opportunities to connect," he stressed. Atlassian, for instance, uses the "user manual," where employees share personal insights—what they are passionate about, what frustrates them, and what they enjoy in their day-to-day lives. This simple exercise fosters empathy and understanding among team members, which is crucial for building a robust and engaged team.
We treat people like adults. We hired you for a reason to be able to get work done.
Furthermore, Cruth highlighted the importance of flexibility in the modern workplace. True flexibility, he argued, comes from trusting employees to choose the work environment that suits them best, whether that’s at home, in the office, or somewhere else entirely. Mark's advocating for a work culture that values outcomes over rigid schedules or mandatory office attendance.
As we dove deeper into the meaning and ways that employees balance a flexible workplace, Crutch highlighted the negatives that can come from it as well. Loneliness has emerged as a significant issue in the workplace, particularly among younger generations. Cruth acknowledged this challenge and offered strategies to combat it. One approach is creating opportunities for social interaction beyond work-related discussions. Atlassian, for example, used a tool called Donut to pair employees for random, non-work-related conversations, which proved to be a game-changer in maintaining connection during the pandemic.
If you can set up those mechanisms and enable people to have those outlets, it doesn't always have to be about work—it can be about being people here
When it comes to change, the best way to determine if specific methods work is to measure their success, which is precisely what Cruth did. By evaluating the effectiveness of new work models, Cruth believes in a balanced approach. Atlassian uses tools like the "Health Monitor," which allows teams to self-assess various attributes, such as shared understanding of work and effective working methods. These assessments help teams identify areas for improvement and track their progress over time. "The goal is to say, 'Hey, are we trending in the right direction?'" Cruth explained, emphasizing the importance of continuous improvement rather than striving for perfection.
Be careful of "data obesity", we should be data-informed, and not data-driven
Cruth also cautioned against becoming "data obese," where organizations collect vast amounts of data but fail to use it effectively. He advocates for being "data-informed, not data-driven," where data is one of many inputs considered in decision-making rather than the sole determinant. This balanced approach, he believes, is critical to creating a flexible, resilient work environment that can adapt to the ever-changing demands of the modern world.
As organizations continue to navigate the challenges of remote and distributed work, Cruth’s insights offer a valuable roadmap. He believes the future of work lies in intentionality—in being deliberate about how we work, connect, and measure success. The rewards for companies willing to embrace these principles are clear: a more engaged, connected, and productive workforce is well-equipped to thrive in the face of change.
