BTSR guidebook ~ Training & skills self-evaluation
Playboy TV – King or Queen for a Day
| Date: | May 2007 |
|---|---|
| Contact: | Andrew D Wren |
| Telephone: | 020 8581 7000 |
In the autumn of 2006 all staff, except those required for night duty transmission work, were invited to attend off-site team building sessions aimed at building on induction and company awareness training.
These quickly became known colloquially as “King or Queen for a Day”, after one of the exercises.
The exercises set were as follows:
- What are the three main things that would make the division a better place to work?
- What are the three main problems that stop us being as effective as we could be?
- Come up with three brand new ideas for your respective departments that we could implement in the first half of next year, and that would generate substantial revenues or save us substantial costs
- If I was in charge of the company for the day I would …(“King or Queen for a Day”).
In addition Heads of Department (HODs) were expected to use the sessions to reinforce earlier induction and company awareness training and some invited other HODs to give an insight into other parts of the business.
Once all of the sessions were completed, HODs were asked to submit results and feedback to Senior Management. These were discussed at a number of subsequent meetings and feedback given to the HODs for them to pass back to the staff.
As a result of the sessions, implementation of the following ideas has already taken place:
- Flexible working hours have been introduced on a limited basis
- An “Employee of the Month” scheme has been introduced
- The offices have been given more of a Playboy “feel” and more branded merchandise distributed to staff to improve the feeling of belonging.
Christie Hefner, then the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the US parent company, visited in April 2007 to meet with all of the UK staff as one of her twice-yearly UK visits and took away the following additional “King or Queen for a Day” suggestions for review:
- The inclusion of UK staff in company long-service award schemes (which has since been implemented)
- “Job swapping” between the UK and US companies.
The total cost of the “King or Queen for a Day” exercises did not exceed £10,000. The benefits are unquantifiable but, in terms of staff goodwill generated and improved morale, are “guesstimated” to exceed the costs.
“King or Queen for a Day” is currently under review, with plans to relaunch in 2009-10.
