ONE Workplace - Building a Stronger Team: Feedback from last week's Staff Events
Post categories: One Workplace
|15:42 UK time, Wednesday, 11 November 2009
Firstly, let me start by saying a big thank you to everyone involved in our ONE Workplace Staff Events last week. We have taken a significant step forward.
I thought the events highlighted some of the best attributes of our ONE Workplace family. Everyone has an opinion, we don't always agree, but we are stronger when we work together.
From where I was in Manchester, there was plenty to be proud of, lots to think about, and some really interesting stuff to capture e.g. how much paper we generate. That's an important part - we are doing this because we want to learn and because we want to get better.
So, I wanted to provide you and your teams with a snapshot on the things we learned. We are focusing on what you said on the green and red cards when asked what you are most proud of at Workplace and what you would most like to change. When we have reviewed all of the feedback forms, we will also update you on the shape and subjects for our future ONE Workplace Staff Events
The Green and the Red cards - what did people say?
In each of our five locations (Birmingham, Glasgow, London W1, London W12 and Manchester), there was plenty of debate. Below is a snapshot of your comments from each location:
| What are you most proud of? | What would you most like to change? | Priorities for Workplace | |
| Glasgow | Working together as a great team Our performance and customer service Recognition and Trust | Slow and complicated processes Improving communication within our team and recognition of all team members Relationship with BBCWorkplace Customer expectations | Improve up and down communications Simplify processes Focus on how to make the big picture small |
| Birmingham | Working together as a ONE team Given the freedom to suggest changes for a peoples workplace The diversity - employees are varied, disability, race, religion does not matter Saving the BBC Money | English Regions to have more of a role; everything is currently very London-centric Improve energy efficiency Better/more interaction between contractor and client - could placements be arranged? The us and them attitude sometimes gets in the way of doing a good job example BBW, JCI, BBC Service level expectations re contract | |
| Manchester | Solutions to challenges, Moving towards ONE Workplace vision, supporting an organisation as renowned as the BBC | Trust - trusting people to have the ability to deliver All supply partners to work closer together Concern about whether BBW will be the FM providers at MediaCityUK | |
| London W1 | Sharing ideas and success, the people, achievements of the team on an important project | Communications - need to get better at communicating with one another - make service partners feel part of the business Knowing our customers - need to connect better with the organisation and output to get better understanding of our customer's needs and help them understand why we do what we do Public vs Private sector - how to resolve tensions between the two Celebrating success - do we tell enough people what we do? One Workplace - what does it mean to me - how do all the organisations work together? Make big picture real at the coal face - use departmental meetings to explain how wider strategy fits in with what is happening on the ground - how does it impact on MY role AOP/WoSP - needs to be drilled down to ground level, changing priorities need to be communicated downwards - needs to be a more visible "living" document Appoint an "Employee Director" who could represent employees on the WMB to help staff understand the priorities and what it means for them | |
| London W12 | Improving the way we work as a team, day to day delivery, promoting a green working environment, inclusive environment | Need clearer demarcation of roles and responsibilities Need to work better together Projects need better support from WMB Strategy of Workplace and wider BBC needs to be clearer |
As we said at the time, the purpose of asking the questions was to learn from the responses and, where possible, to do things to change.
What can we do - always improving
Since the events last Tuesday, the Workplace Management Board and I have been looking at the comments made in each location. They are provocative and, in my opinion, very helpful. We are on a journey; we know we must always get better and, as I said at the time, I want our team to focus on going for gold.
Now that we have reflected on the comments made, these are the priorities we are taking away and on which we will be focusing. We will use these at our next ONE Workplace Events and I would encourage everyone to think about how they can respond to them. They matter to us all and we should all take action to address them.
Many of the points you raised were along common themes; many of the issues are in areas we are aware of and are working to address. However, we value your comments and recognise the need to address them, in a way we will be able to deliver. To this end Workplace Management Board have decided to focus on 3 main priorities which we hope will begin to solve some of the issues we are all facing:
1. Improve up and down communications
To find ways to improve communication across ONE Workplace teams in all locations, and to reduce London-centricity
2. Simplify processes
To identify ways to improve the processes for initiating and managing Jobs and Projects
3. Focus on how to make the big picture small
To improve awareness of strategy at ground level, so staff know what is expected of them and how wider Workplace aims are relevant to them in their everyday work.
The next step on the journey
Building on all of the good things that we are rightly proud of and changing the things that don't work is not going to be easy. Change never is, but we know that it's part of what we need to do and what we need to help everyone else in the BBC to do too. As Caroline Thomson said, we have a vital role to play and we have a great opportunity to step up and deliver even better results.
The next ONE Workplace staff events are planned for early next year (we will confirm the date shortly). We'll report back on your comments and the progress on the priorities at the end of this year but it should be remembered they are part of a journey. With your help and contributions we will endeavour to address other issues as we go along.
Keep talking
If you would like any more information on what we are doing to respond to your comments or on our ongoing work to improve how Workplace communicates, please do not hesitate to contact Hellen Martin, Kate Smith or Lauren Nippress. As ever, I am happy to respond to comments on this blog!
Thank you again. I look forward to next time.
Chris
Comment number 1.
At 17:44 13th Nov 2009, Mark wrote:Regarding the first priority 1.
"Improve up and down communications
To find ways to improve communication across ONE Workplace teams in all locations, and to reduce London-centricity",
I think it important that we start thinking in terms of lateral communication as well as merely speaking of up & Down. It's the up & Down mentality which breeds insular thinking and silo management.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 1)