http://blogs.pressgazette.co.uk/fleetstreet/2008/01/08/how-the-bbcs-10-per-cent-time-works/ Signposts to journalism's future from Press Gazette Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:27:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 http://blogs.pressgazette.co.uk/fleetstreet/2008/01/08/how-the-bbcs-10-per-cent-time-works/#comment-104230 Electric Fishwrap › How to build innovation in newsrooms Fri, 11 Jan 2008 03:03:04 +0000 http://blogs.pressgazette.co.uk/fleetstreet/2008/01/08/how-the-bbcs-10-per-cent-time-works/#comment-104230 [...] Mindy points us to the Fleet Street blog, where the blogger reports that the BBC is already doing 10 percent time in newsrooms: All of the designers, developers, project managers at BBC Audio and Music Interactive are allowed [...] [...] Mindy points us to the Fleet Street blog, where the blogger reports that the BBC is already doing 10 percent time in newsrooms: All of the designers, developers, project managers at BBC Audio and Music Interactive are allowed [...]

]]> http://blogs.pressgazette.co.uk/fleetstreet/2008/01/08/how-the-bbcs-10-per-cent-time-works/#comment-103896 Teaching Online Journalism » Finding time to innovate Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:42:41 +0000 http://blogs.pressgazette.co.uk/fleetstreet/2008/01/08/how-the-bbcs-10-per-cent-time-works/#comment-103896 [...] The BBC has done this. The idea comes from Google (and maybe other technology companies; I don’t know), which gives its employees 20 percent time to work on projects that are not part of their assigned job duties. Switching teams at Google is a very fluid process. An engineer can be 40% on one project, 40% on something completely different and 20% on his or her own thing.  That mix can be adjusted as project requirements change. Switching groups should also not have an affect on your annual review score because of arbitrary team politics. Joining a new group is more about find a good mutual fit then going through HR and a formal interview loop. When there is an important project that needs to be staffed the groups and execs will evangelize that need and someone who is interested is bound to step up. [...] [...] The BBC has done this. The idea comes from Google (and maybe other technology companies; I don’t know), which gives its employees 20 percent time to work on projects that are not part of their assigned job duties. Switching teams at Google is a very fluid process. An engineer can be 40% on one project, 40% on something completely different and 20% on his or her own thing.  That mix can be adjusted as project requirements change. Switching groups should also not have an affect on your annual review score because of arbitrary team politics. Joining a new group is more about find a good mutual fit then going through HR and a formal interview loop. When there is an important project that needs to be staffed the groups and execs will evangelize that need and someone who is interested is bound to step up. [...]

]]> http://blogs.pressgazette.co.uk/fleetstreet/2008/01/08/how-the-bbcs-10-per-cent-time-works/#comment-103320 Simon Dickson Wed, 09 Jan 2008 09:30:14 +0000 http://blogs.pressgazette.co.uk/fleetstreet/2008/01/08/how-the-bbcs-10-per-cent-time-works/#comment-103320 I'm all for '20 per cent' time; in fact, it's one of the reasons I set myself up in business. But with hard numbers attached, I can't help feeling it makes the BBC look only half as committed to the idea as Google. It'll be interesting to see if the Beeb staffers can match some of Google's 20 per cent-based innovations: Gmail, Google News and the recent Charts API to name but three. I’m all for ‘20 per cent’ time; in fact, it’s one of the reasons I set myself up in business. But with hard numbers attached, I can’t help feeling it makes the BBC look only half as committed to the idea as Google. It’ll be interesting to see if the Beeb staffers can match some of Google’s 20 per cent-based innovations: Gmail, Google News and the recent Charts API to name but three.

]]> http://blogs.pressgazette.co.uk/fleetstreet/2008/01/08/how-the-bbcs-10-per-cent-time-works/#comment-103113 Eamon Tue, 08 Jan 2008 20:39:36 +0000 http://blogs.pressgazette.co.uk/fleetstreet/2008/01/08/how-the-bbcs-10-per-cent-time-works/#comment-103113 Well, having worked as an advertising account planner, I can appreciate that time dedicated to ideas - or generating ideas - can works wonders. And I am sure the same applies to the world outside advertising as well. Well, having worked as an advertising account planner, I can appreciate that time dedicated to ideas - or generating ideas - can works wonders. And I am sure the same applies to the world outside advertising as well.

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