Memo to Hall on first day in new job ...

[french frank]

passionately, very real sense, learning the lessons, moved forward, values, challenge, move towards, listening, journey.

I don't think he wrote this (entirely) himself - there's some BBC nu-speak he couldn't have learned that quickly. But, OTOH

"Over the coming months I want to hear your thoughts"

[Serial_Apologist]

So, he has ESP as well!

[mangerton]

I don't think he wrote this (entirely) himself - there's some BBC nu-speak he couldn't have learned that quickly. But, OTOH

No probably not, but he presumably signed (ie, approved) it. So in my book, he's guilty as charged. As for learning quickly, in my own organisation, I've noticed colleagues who used to speak quite normally are now coming out with this appalling verbiage, shortly after being promoted. I'm convinced there's a connection, though I'm not sure which is cause and which is effect!

Going forward, I'm fascinated to know why people speak in this way. What do they think it adds to what they have to say? In a very real sense, it detracts from the message they're attempting to deliver*.

*Another word that is now being overused. Everything is "delivered" these days. It used only to be milk and newspapers.

[scottycelt]

As for learning quickly, in my own organisation, I've noticed colleagues who used to speak quite normally are now coming out with this appalling verbiage, shortly after being promoted.

...

How very true, mangerton.

It also has been my experience that the very people who most deserve promotion avoid it like the proverbial plague in the justified fear that then they will be expected to come out with the appalling verbiage.

[french frank]

He's cottoned on to the fact that 'quality' and 'distinctiveness' are the BBC's twin aims. That's why R3 aims to be more like CFM - it's going for the quality.

[EdgeleyRob]

Oh! It's a bovine-ordure-bingo player's dream come true! Almost every cliché on the bingo card.

passionately, very real sense, learning the lessons, moved forward, values, challenge, move towards, listening, journey.

He's missed out blue sky thinking, low-hanging fruit, and (strangely) vision.

But still, what an intellect! Just what the BBC needs!

Vision and journey never fail in bulls**t bingo where I work.

[amateur51]

I suspect many a disbelieving eyebrow had been raised already with the appointment of Purnell, who has not exactly covered himself in glory as a politician.

Meades is so right about modern management, not just at the BBC.

Management is the root of the problem, not the Presenters and staff who have to do as instructed and take the butt of the criticism from outsiders.

Maybe it's unfair to knock someone before he even starts in the job but already the omens are not good.

There is no evidence that anything much is going to change at management level, it's largely just fancy new job-titles for the current lot.

Same old story ...

.

Be fair, be fair - we're giving Pope Francis a following wind so why not Lord Hall too?

[Serial_Apologist]

Be fair, be fair - we're giving Pope Francis a following wind so why not Lord Hall too?

Naughty.......

[ahinton]

Vision and journey never fail in bulls**t bingo where I work.

No vision, no journey? Does that mean that Radio 3 will no longer be broadcasting the music of Anthony Payne or David Matthews under the new régime?

[Nick Armstrong]

Vision and journey never fail in bulls**t bingo where I work.

You're not wrong, Rob

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

well if he signed it off without writing it we know what he means about trust and if he wrote it himself well lord help us all ... astonishingly bad start

why oh why could he not have spared us the clichés and himself and colleagues the embarrassment

[eighthobstruction]

Well at least he didn't Tweet it....

....if he had what would he have Tweeted??....#tone : Fish stink, I come get new fish....

[Thropplenoggin]

Meades pulls neither his punches nor his polysyllables in his article. He's operating at a level of verbal brilliance that is far beyond every other article in The Guardian, aside from those occasional entries from that dying breed of penseur/writer types (essayists?) - Will Self, Julian Barnes, Hilary Mantell, etc. He espouses what he preaches - a seriousness that is not without some very daring humour. The reader is not patronised but is made to work to keep up with his arguments. He has strong opinions and is not afraid to share them in the politically-correct world. Brilliant and all too rare.

His TV programmes are also sui generis - ingenious use of camera angles, juxtapositions, etc. Here is his hilarious J'accuse on vegetarians. "Nut-munchers", look away now:

p.s. I smiled at the obvious but universally-overlooked point about vegetarians not cooking meat for their carnivorous friends; that their own lifestyle choice will be catered for by the meat-eaters has now become a given.

p.p.s. The Christian in the video who believes you can't be a true Christian without being a vegetarian has overlooked the carnivorous (cannibalistic) aspect of the Eucharist- that of eating the body and drinking the blood of Christ.

[pilamenon]

He's missed out blue sky thinking, low-hanging fruit, and (strangely) vision.

No use of "robust", either. Tut-tut.

[Nick Armstrong]

"Nut-munchers", look away now

You're on fire today, M. Le Noggin!