Australia’s leading thinkers on collaboration and technology gathered today for Pollen Consulting Group’s very first thought leadership event, Pollenation by the Pool.

Culture, collaboration and technology innovation were hot topics for the panel and audience who heard from Pollen Consulting Group’s Danny Van D’huynslager on the need to prepare for the Internet of Things and Cobots.

 

Panellists Ray Hanly, CEO of Beak & Johnston/City Kitchen, Nick Dunford, CEO CoVentured, Mark Barr, consultant to KPMG and Pollen Consulting Group CEO Paul Eastwood cited culture as one of the greatest challenges for any food and beverage business managing change and innovation brought about by technological advances.

“Culture is a topic we discuss every board meeting,” Ray Hanly said. “Cultural change is one of the biggest challenges we have.”

Pollen Consulting Group CEO Paul Eastwood has a straight forward philosophy for positive culture.

“Work with people you like and trust. Everyone wants to learn, but the sharing can be difficult. If you like and trust one another, you can really achieve great things.”

Nick Dunford advised small steps over in action when it comes to cultural change in organisations.

“It’s really important to just start – a lot of corporates just wait to get everything perfect first,” he said.

“Rather than talking at a theoretically level – start small, on something that’s real, and get a proof point. Then you won’t be trying to convert people, you’ll be pulling them with you.”