PAB Shares Expertise on Culture and Communication at UK Fresh Produce Network.

PAB Shares Expertise on Culture and Communication at UK Fresh Produce Network.
Iwona Lebiedowicz has been praised for leading thought-provoking discussions for members of the UK Fresh Produce Network (UKFPN), where industry professionals explored the growing importance of communication, culture and leadership within diverse workforces.
Hosted by Paul Nicholls, the latest UKFPN event brought together leaders from across the fresh produce, manufacturing, logistics and food sectors to discuss one of the biggest challenges facing modern organisations: how to build high-performing teams in increasingly multilingual and multicultural workplaces.
The discussion focused on the practical realities of communication in diverse environments, exploring how language, cultural differences and leadership behaviours influence safety, collaboration, productivity and employee engagement. Delegates shared experiences from across the industry, highlighting that while organisations continue to invest in recruitment, technology and training, long-term success ultimately depends on how effectively people communicate and understand one another.
Leading the session, Iwona encouraged participants to consider communication beyond language alone, emphasising the role of assumptions, trust and shared understanding in everyday workplace interactions.
Drawing on more than a decade of experience helping organisations improve intercultural communication and leadership, Iwona shared practical insights into creating environments where people feel confident to contribute and where differences become strengths rather than barriers.
During the discussion, Iwona said:
"We often assume that recruiting talented people, investing in training and appointing good managers will naturally create high-performing teams. In reality, one of the biggest differentiators is something much less visible: how well people understand one another and communicate.
This becomes even more important in multilingual international workplaces, where language and cultural differences influence not only what people say, but also how they interpret instructions, build trust, raise concerns and work together.
Across manufacturing, food production, logistics and supply chains, we see the same pattern time and again.
Organisations that invest in shared understanding, communication and leadership build stronger, safer and more resilient teams.”
Paul Nicholls, Head of the UKFPN, explained why Iwona was invited to lead the discussions: "This was an interesting and thought-provoking debate for UKFPN members. The session was led by Iwona Lebiedowicz of PAB Magnet on the topic of managing culture and communication within a diverse workforce.
Iwona brought a wealth of knowledge and real-world experience to the discussion, offering practical insights into managing culture and communication within a diverse workforce. Her contribution was both inspiring and extremely valuable to our members."
Some of the key messages from our discussion were:

• Remember that we all interpret messages through our own experiences and assumptions.
• Most misunderstandings come from different perspectives, not bad intentions.
• Systems, processes and technology only deliver results when people work well together.
• Technology can increase the speed of communication, but people determine the quality of the outcome.