154. The Polycrisis at Work: Why Organisations Can’t Separate ‘Outside’ and ‘Inside’ Anymore

Work feels heavier.
People feel more stretched.
And even when organisations are performing well on paper, something feels off.

In this solo episode of Ways to Change the Workplace, Prina Shah explores the concept of a polycrisis and what it really means for leaders, organisations, and workplace culture.

A polycrisis is not just multiple crises happening at once. It is when economic pressure, social tension, climate anxiety, political instability, and constant change collide and amplify each other. And work sits right at the centre of that collision.

In this episode, Prina unpacks why organisations can no longer separate what happens outside the workplace from what happens inside, and why wellbeing initiatives alone will never be enough.

This is a practical, systems-focused conversation about how leadership behaviour, organisational design, and culture must change if work is going to remain meaningful in complex times.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

• What a polycrisis is and why it matters at work
 • Why the boundary between ‘outside’ and ‘inside’ has collapsed
 • How workplace systems can either absorb or amplify pressure
 • Why counselling and wellbeing initiatives are necessary but not sufficient
 • What leaders need to do differently under sustained complexity
 • What organisations need to redesign to stop quietly breaking people
 • How meaningful work becomes a stabilising force in uncertain times

Key Topics Covered

• The polycrisis explained in practical, workplace terms
 • Why work is where pressure converges
 • The outside-inside loop and its impact on people, families, and communities
 • Leadership behaviour under pressure
 • Organisational systems, workload, and role clarity
 • Change without recovery and why it erodes trust
 • Designing work for sustainability rather than endurance

The polycrisis is not temporary.

What happens outside will keep coming inside.
And what happens inside will keep going back out.

The responsibility is not to fix everything.
It is to stop making it worse.

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