Pros
• Iconic location and truly unique product - hard not to smile when you remember you work at the Harbour Bridge.
• Frontline team members are passionate and genuinely care about the guest experience.
• Plenty of talk about values and culture - you’ll never be short on posters, presentations, and events celebrating them.
• If you like observing organisational dynamics in real time, it’s a fascinating case study - almost like a soap opera on red bull.
Cons
• Values look great on paper. The team did a beautiful job putting them together. The real-world application… less consistent.
• Senior leadership often demonstrates a flexible approach to standards - strict when convenient, relaxed when they’re the ones impacted. Double standards can feel like part of the operating model.
• Favouritism and internal agendas can outweigh capability and experience.
• “Culture” is referenced a lot. The lived experience varies depending which side of the door you're on.
• Some are still learning key leadership fundamentals – feedback, fairness and transparency sometimes feel more aspirational than operational.