In a bid to shake off its reputation for turning a blind eye to bad behaviour, the BBC has spent more than £61,000 on its “Call It Out” campaign including an order for 6,000 lanyards, 10,000 badges, and 7,000 mugs. Nothing brings about cultural change quite like a new lanyard does it? Suffragettes could have saved themselves an awful lot of bother if they’d just flashed green and purple lanyards at polling stations.
The broadcaster was forced to take action to deal with “a minority of people whose behaviour is simply not acceptable,” so now the entire 21,000-strong workforce has been roped in. Like at school when some idiot lobbed a rubber at the teacher’s back, and the whole class got detention.
Something needs to be done as the scandals are piling up and it’s an embarrassment. Every week another one. Scotland Yard were called in recently over claims that the Strictly Come Dancing set was starting to resemble Studio 54 circa 1977 and not because of the sequin jumpsuits. It follows allegations that a prominent female presenter flashed a junior colleague an explicit image, and Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-Don’t-Pull-Your-
I’m not convinced any amount of ‘messaging’ will fundamentally change an egomaniac’s nature. The idea of the branded merch everywhere just seems to encourage staff to turn on each other. Not exactly the kind of environment conducive to creativity.
Still, I think lanyards could have their uses. Not for reforming behaviour, but as a handy way to communicate personal boundaries so colleagues can get along better. A bit like lanyard semaphore.
Red strap means: Warning, easily offended! Approach with caution. Green: Bring it on, couldn’t care less! Yellow: No small talk. Don’t ask me what I am having for lunch and under no circumstances show me pictures of your kids. Green: I am vegan, but wear leather and wool. I do not wish to explain myself. White: I don’t trust conventional medicine, but I believe in angels and crystals. Purple: I mainly talk about going to the gym and running half marathons, which may trigger self-esteem issues in others. Blue: I mainly talk about parking.
I reckon I’m on to something here.
