Forum for former BBC staff

Forum for former BBC staff
http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl >> News and Comment >> Yellow Card http://www.ex-bbc.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1013304785 Message started by Forum Admin on Feb 10^th, 2002, 1:34am

Title: Yellow Card
Post by Forum Admin on Feb 10^th, 2002, 1:34am

Greg Dyke says there are too many "cynics and whingers" in the BBC. He has introduced a football-style yellow card, to try to stop people stifling good ideas at meetings.
This is how the Guardian reported the story:
http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,7493,646421,00.html

Title: Re: Yellow Card
Post by Peter_Hill on Feb 11^th, 2002, 6:14pm

In my view a yellow card with "Cut the Crap" on is vulgar and does not represent what I would ever have said in a discussion on programmes to anyone else, least of all to a superior whom I am trying to persuade about a good idea. People do not react well to the suggestion that they are talking crap. Arguments and creativity should win. Even if the logo means "stop delaying and make a decision" my strictures still hold. Broadcasting is a not a football game. Yellow cards mean foul play; it is only a short step to someone wanting to show a red card meaning " get out, leave the room". We ought to conduct our business on a rather higher plane than football thugs.
Sorry if this sounds rather pompous!

Title: Re: Yellow Card
Post by John_Fisher on Feb 13^th, 2002, 12:09pm

Brandishing a yellow card in a meeting seems a highly unlikely scenario to me - and perhaps a 'green light' to people who want to avoid clearly thought-out persuasion that a new concept or idea should be investigated.

Title: Re: Yellow Card
Post by Peter_Hill on Mar 12^th, 2002, 6:12pm

Well, perhaps a definition of vulgarity is saying precisely what we are thinking!

Title: Re: Yellow Card
Post by Ian_Leiper on Apr 12^th, 2002, 9:22am

My abiding memory of working for the BBC is that of team spirit. A half-decent team captain (line manager, Producer or whoever) is, and was, more than willing to listen to suggestions from his team (crew, unit or whatever ). I was often damn grate ful for suggestions made by my crews. Anyone showing a yellow card will be a person lacking confidence in their own ability, probably rightly, and with a dictatorial approach to leadership.

Title: Re: Yellow Card
Post by Ken_Franks on Apr 13^th, 2002, 12:53pm

I'm rather pleased to have left the BBC before this "laddish" culture of "Cut the Crap" surfaced.
Professional (fair and objective) criticism was part of the job. Occasionally, someone got "bawled out" by a manager, and sometimes the troops "whinged" about a boss, but the idea of waving yellow cards in someone's face never occured to anyone. It strikes me as very subjective and very unfair.

I'm no expert, but I believe if a referee shows a yellow card twice to the same person, that player is sent off.
Are two BBC yellow cards followed by dismissal?
I've suddenly begun to see the yellow cards in a new light!