The BBC has publicly acknowledged its celebrity power problems. household name have been the subject of accusations (against professional dancing on Strictly come Dancing), dismissals (One show host Jermaine Jennifers) and criminal convictions in recent years (news anchor Huw Edwards). Because of the nature of the day-to-day operation, which involves so many high-paid stars – the ‘talent,’ working alongside teams in support roles, there are constant tensions and potential abuses. There’s a constant danger, then, that the organization and the licence fee payers have only seen a small part of what is possible.
BBC updated its guidelines for personal relationships in the workplace earlier this year. It asked employees to inform senior staff members of any “abuse” of power (defined as situations where someone used their “celebrity” status to force people to do something for them). The BBC gave advice on how to recognize the signs of “potential grooming”. Samir Shah, chair of the BBC, said: “I can’t stress enough how committed I am to combating inappropriate or abusive behavior.” “Nobody at the BBC should feel afraid or worried while they are working.”
There will be a second independent review in 2025, as a follow up to the Review of Respect at Work from 2013. Focus will be placed on practical mechanics and impacts. Employees from the top down know the consequences for inappropriate behavior. But does this mean that there has been a real change in the culture?
In organisations such as the BBC, and this is not so different from other large employers, where there will always be an imbalance of power between senior and junior employees, or between areas of critical expertise and colleagues, we have found that a ‘crackdown on inappropriate behavior’ doesn’t work. You raise the stakes, and people are less likely to speak out. Whistleblowing is seen as a risky and dangerous activity. In a survey conducted in the UK, 51% of employees said they would not whistle blow even if their employer broke the law. Only 18% felt confident that they could do so without losing their job.
It is more important to create the right environment to discuss concerns than to have codes of conduct or to put pressure on people to speak up. A culture that encourages early and informal resolution.
The BBC will never be a community of equals without stars. Under the current policy and proposals, people will feel less comfortable speaking out because they are aware of the consequences for those accused and that the scrutiny of them and their allegations is going to be much greater. Bullying and inappropriate behavior go underground, change into new forms, or find new outlets. Everyone smiles a little harder and grits teeth for the camera.
This is a lesson for all employers. You can expect people to raise concerns only in an atmosphere that is positive and practical.
There are a few key steps you can take (depending on your organisational needs and what is already in place).
- By creating a behavioral framework that all employees can understand, they will know what to expect from them.
- When allegations of misconduct are made, ensure that robust and fair investigations by HR are conducted;
- Triage to direct to restorative interventions or informal mediation when necessary;
- Using highly-skilled mediators, coaches, and trainers to help restore relationships, develop emotional Intelligence, and address early conflict situations.
- Building a psychologically-safe workplace is important to preventing ‘imposter’ syndrome amongst groups that are under-represented when they receive promotions and to enable teams to flourish.
- The Conversational Integrity model (based on developing five capacities: Situational Awareness, Curiosity, Reflective Listening, Empathy and Self-Awareness) will help to create a culture where all employees feel empowered to speak out, to challenge, in a positive and constructive way.
