Great things happen when we work together

Former BBC event producer Melissa Riddington is a member of the BBC Alumni. In this post she recalls her work at the BBC and the impact Director-General Greg Dyke had on the organisation and its meeting culture.

My first ‘proper’ job was at the BBC. I say ‘proper’, as I don’t think jobbing my way around Australia or filling cream cakes on a Saturday at the tender age of 16 to fund my Now That’s What I Call Music collection were career-defining moments.

I was lucky enough to work at the BBC for eight years, in various roles and departments. I saw changes in leadership and culture, including an ingenious internal ‘Make It Happen’ campaign by Greg Dyke, our (then) new Director General. With the aim of cutting through some of the BBC’s engrained bureaucracy and red tape, we were told if we found ourselves in a meeting where creativity was being stifled by inertia, we would be able to brandish a yellow card emblazoned with the new BBC buzz phrase: "Cut the Crap, Make it Happen” (pictured).

It was a turning point and major cultural shift at the BBC, where employees were actively encouraged to think big, be creative and just make it happen. It was an exciting time for a young ‘un like me, and I was eager to witness a meeting where someone stood up, blew a whistle, produced a yellow card from their back pocket and shouted the catch phrase. Sadly, I never got to witness such a meeting.

In spite of this, I made my own personal red card which I kept under my keyboard, just to wield at my colleagues if they did something horrendous like… feigning ignorance over the latest paper jam (whilst clutching half of their 100 page report with ink-dyed fingers). Or worse, eating the last Jammie Dodger from our collective biscuit tin, leaving a week-old Rich Tea in its wake.

I spent the last few years of my BBC life working in the Events team with the most talented, intelligent and wonderful group of people. We were an accumulation of approximately 15 women, a tight knit group of smart and creative organizers, planners, strategists and negotiators. On any given day, we’d put on one of several different hats, ranging from talent wrangler, brand developer, database investigator, budget master to envelope stuffer.

We were in fact the team that brought BBC programming to life, engaging with the BBC’s key opinion formers, press, media, talent and of course, the public. Our team significantly helped shift the BBC’s brand perception during a time when our younger audience was heading over to a more competitive digital landscape. We were integral in supporting the BBC’s overarching marketing and communications strategies.

I learnt and experienced many things at the BBC, both in a professional and general life-skills capacity, lessons that cannot be taught by even the best MBA degree lecturers, nor would they be found in the annals of any prestigious business school. They're lessons that can only be learnt. And learn them we did through hard work, determination, dedication and focus. Like Jedi knights, we honed great skills that would be passed on from generation to generation.

Whilst some lessons are too sacred to speak of, there are a few that I’m happy to lay bare:

1. Don’t underestimate the power of a £5 bottle of Cava and bag of crisps from the local White City Tesco, which can truly bring a team together.

2. Never leave a half-used pack of baby wipes out on a registration desk. Some guests may mistakenly believe it is their rightful leaving gift.

3. When faced with an ego brimming ‘Don’t you know who I am?’ moment, it’s best not to respond, ‘I haven’t got the foggiest’.

4. When tactfully trying to suggest that releasing doves into an enclosed studio for an epic finale wouldn’t be such a good idea, be prepared for a comeback such as, “Ok, well.. let’s just go with fireworks then”.

5. When your London-based screening venue burns down one week prior to your event, don’t panic. Just don’t panic.

6. When doing a venue walk-through and the manager shouts for you to, “Stop! No, go! Wait! Ok now!” in order to dodge a scurrying rat, you know it’s not going to end well. And no, Basil Fawlty didn’t even make an appearance.

7. If you’re ever brave enough to speak to one of your idols (in my case, Jonny Wilkinson), ensure you have something more memorable to say than, “Did you try the sausages?”

8. If you notice someone having trouble opening a pack of peanuts, don’t be so bold as to go over and ask loudly, “Do you need help with your nuts?” This happened to me with the talented Bill Nighy. Fortunately, he didn’t embarrass me any more than necessary and I was lucky enough to have a lovely conversation with this talented charmer.

Whilst these life-lessons have clearly helped me on numerous occasions, the most positive element I took away from my time at the BBC was the ability to look back and realise that I was fortunate enough to work with a group of hugely talented, vivacious, creative people. The team, the friendship, the camaraderie: we would never shy away from helping each other. We knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that we would support each other, through thick and thin. It was a given, it was our team’s culture, it was our way. We all knew we had something magical in our team, but it was only when I left the BBC, entering other workplace cultures, that I realised with a brutal wake-up call, that not every team is as supportive as the BBC one I had just come from.

Like a rabbit in headlights, it took me a while to adjust, if that’s possible, to a culture where ideas were quashed, or worse, taken and repacked as someone else’s. In reality, I suppose I learnt more about the BBC when I left the BBC. Things I took for granted were suddenly something I felt very precious about and missed. Fortunately I still keep in touch with many of my old BBCers, we can laugh about the nonsense we encountered and reminisce over bottles of Cava. But at the heart of it, we did amazing work together.

We built, we created, we launched, we screened, we showcased, we entertained, we informed and we educated. We were unique and I feel very lucky to have been a part of this supportive, respectful and affectionate team. What I learnt and realise looking back, is that we truly embraced the BBC’s value that, “Great Things Happen When We Work Together”. It’s a value and mantra that I can only hope still exists in the BBC today.

Melissa Riddington is a Marketing and Communications Consultant and, formerly, an event producer at the BBC

• A new network for former BBC staff - BBC Alumni - was launched on Wednesday 12 November.
• To become a member of the BBC Alumni network please email alumni@bbc.co.uk including your name, staff number, last office location and the first half of your current home postcode.
  
  
• Visit the BBC Alumni page on Inside the BBC for more information.