Atlassian, the Australian enterprise software company founded in 2002, is well-known for developing and acquiring software for developers, project managers, and content management. Some of Atlassian's flagship products include Jira Software, Confluence, Trello, Bitbucket, and Loom.
Over the last decade, Atlassian has experienced exponential growth. The company went public on NASDAQ in 2015, and since then, its market capitalization has soared, making it one of Australia's most successful technology companies. As of 2023, Atlassian reported having over 250,000 customers worldwide and surpassed $3 billion in revenue for the fiscal year 2023. Today, Atlassian employs over 15,000 people globally.
In recent years, Atlassian has not only strengthened its leadership position in the software industry but has also emerged as a leader in new ways of working. The company promotes innovation, gives visibility and a voice to work coaches like Mark, and analyzes Future of Work trends. Atlassian is now one of the most influential companies when it comes to the Future of Work.
A few weeks ago, we had the chance to sit down with Mark Cruth, a leader in the Future of Work, public speaker, and Work Coach at Atlassian. During our conversation, he shared valuable insights into what makes Atlassian's work culture a happy place to work, empowering flexibility and fostering intentional connections. He also emphasized the importance of the Team Playbook in Atlassian's work culture and how it has contributed to the company's success over the years.
While Atlassian is widely recognized for its software solutions and groundbreaking acquisitions, it is also renowned as a true pioneer in the Future of Work, always staying ahead of trends, creating content, and being a vocal advocate for promoting new ways of working.
Atlassian's work culture gained notable recognition after releasing several studies and statements that promoted flexibility and innovation over office time and strict policies.
In 2024, Atlassian's co-founder Scott Farquhar publicly rejected the idea of returning to the office full-time, believing that flexible work arrangements, including remote work, are more productive and crucial for modern businesses. The company's report, "Lessons Learned: 1,000 Days of Distributed at Atlassian," indicates that 92% of their employees find remote work enables their best productivity. Moreover, 99% of surveyed executives from other large organizations agree that future work will be more distributed, emphasizing that the real productivity blockers are not location-based but related to work practices and distractions.
More recently, Atlassian started to be the voice of distributed teams, emphasizing the benefits of distributed work across multiple key aspects and promoting this trending but challenging work model in the post-pandemic era. In March 2024, Atlassian published the Manifesto for Distributed Teams, a guiding document highlighting principles like prioritizing context over content, outcomes over output, and adaptability over strict adherence. This manifesto underscores the importance of collaboration, flexibility, and continuous evolution in navigating the complexities of modern work environments. The manifesto lists eight core principles to enable the success of distributed work:
Demystifying the trends of the flexible future of work
Atlassian has long been a pioneer in promoting new ways of working, even before the pandemic, by analyzing current work trends and predicting the future of work. The company produces a wealth of content, sends speakers to future of work events to represent its culture, and frequently makes public announcements regarding updates on its workplace initiatives. Atlassian not only advocates for new work methodologies but also amplifies the movement's voice. Some of Atlassian’s most notable publications on the future of work include:
Among the vast content Atlassian has produced in recent years, the most transformative initiative has been the Team Playbook, an internal program designed to equip employees with the knowledge and tools to excel in their roles while introducing innovative approaches to modern work—an impact that extends well beyond Atlassian’s office walls.
The Atlassian Team Playbook is a comprehensive resource designed to help teams improve their collaboration and efficiency. It offers a variety of "Plays," which are structured workshops or exercises that address common team challenges. The Playbook covers areas such as project goals alignment, remote teamwork, agile methodologies, and fostering a shared understanding within teams. Each Play includes detailed instructions, templates, and tips to facilitate successful execution. The Playbook aims to build stronger, more effective teams through practical, actionable strategies.
The Team Playbook is divided into several key sections, each focusing on different aspects of team dynamics and project management:
The Team Playbook is a vital resource for any organization looking to enhance its teamwork and productivity. By following its guidelines and implementing its plays, teams can address common challenges and work more effectively towards their goals.
In my role at Atlassian, I serve as a "modern work coach," a position I've had the opportunity to shape around my strengths as a facilitator and coach. My main mission is to help both our internal teams and external customers become more intentional about how they work, especially in a distributed environment. Atlassian operates as a fully distributed company, which means that employees can work from anywhere, with no obligation to be in the office. As teams have had to adapt to this setup, part of my responsibility is to guide them in refining their ways of working to ensure effective collaboration. Additionally, I actively share Atlassian's unique practices with the broader community through external events, highlighting innovative approaches to common work challenges. This role allows me to blend internal coaching with external advocacy, making it both fulfilling and impactful.
At Atlassian, our mission is to unleash the potential of every team, which is reflected in our commitment to fostering innovative work practices and a collaborative culture. A key resource that embodies this mission is the Atlassian Team Playbook—a practical guide that has been available since 2016. This playbook offers step-by-step instructions on various work practices, such as developing working agreements, making decisions, and conducting reflection exercises. We encourage teams to experiment with these practices to adapt to the ever-changing work environment, especially in a distributed world.
Our work culture is centered around "intentional togetherness", where teams are encouraged to regularly come together, even in a fully distributed work model. This approach is supported by our office designs, which prioritize collaboration spaces over traditional desk arrangements. For example, our new offices in Austin and Seattle are designed with minimal desks and expansive open areas to facilitate team interactions. These spaces are intended to function as modern off-sites, where teams can connect, collaborate, and then continue their work remotely. This blend of flexibility and intentionality in workplace design underscores our innovative approach to building a cohesive and productive work culture.
I always recommend the Atlassian Team Playbook as an essential resource, not just for reading but for practical application. It has been a cornerstone for us since its inception in 2016, and we continue to expand it. The Playbook offers step-by-step instructions on various practices that we follow, such as creating working groups and building working agreements. For those unsure of where to start, it provides clear guidance on how to make decisions and conduct reflection exercises, among other things.
I encourage everyone to explore and experiment with the variety of tools and practices the Playbook offers. In a world where work environments are constantly evolving, especially with distributed teams, it's crucial to push the boundaries and avoid falling back into old patterns. The Atlassian Team Playbook is a fantastic resource that’s freely accessible—there’s no need to sign up with an email or anything. Our goal is to empower every team to reach its full potential, and the Playbook is a vital part of that mission, even beyond the software we offer.
To learn more, check out the full interview with Mark Cruth, Work Coach at Atlassian.
