British Film Institute – take two: introducing new ways of working
The British Film Institute’s new chief executive wanted the organisation to implement a long-term hybrid work model based around an open, collaborative company culture. We launched a change management programme during the pandemic that helped to deliver this.
The situation
The British Film Institute (BFI) maintains the world’s largest film archive. It encourages development of the arts of film, television and the moving image throughout the UK and invests in films from new film-makers. The BFI has nearly 600 staff spread predominantly across four sites in southern England.
The chief executive wanted to create a more egalitarian and diverse work environment, featuring greater recruitment from across the UK. He believed the BFI needed to develop a more transparent work culture that did not rely on staff being present in the office. We were asked to complete a workplace analysis and a change management programme in order to realise these ambitions.
Our approach
We analysed the BFI’s effectiveness by conducting a deep dive into the organisation’s existing data. We also reviewed the business’ IT and HR processes, held a series of focus groups with staff working across the organisation and interviewed members of the management team.
After completing this research, we worked with the leadership team to formulate a set of guiding principles that would define the company culture. We then hosted an online hackathon involving 450 BFI employees. The event epitomised the transparent and inclusive environment the organisation wanted to introduce and was a crucial step towards establishing the core details of the Working Together Agreement at the centre of the business’ hybrid working model. We subsequently ran workshops and provided training to individuals to demonstrate how managers could facilitate discussion about how their teams wanted to work and how their preferences could be accommodated within a framework that delivered business success.
By making our recommended changes, the BFI adopted a hybrid work model and refreshed its workplace culture. Our commitment to engage with staff at all stages of the project ensured they always felt involved and we have continued to support the organisation to ensure the changes are sustained long-term.
