This isn’t an original post, it’s contrasting two other opinions of Virgin Ones Naked Office. One is taken from INAA’s blog about thier experiences on Naked Office (Original is here) and the other from an article in the Times (Original is here).

It’s interesting to compare the opinions of the participants and a bystander.

Why we shed our INAAhibitions for the Naked Office

I guess deep down I always wanted to do my own thing.  Even at school I was a bit of a rebel and usually just ahead of the latest trend.  So in starting my own company – INAA.com –  I welcomed the freedom of decision-making and the challenge of building something from nothing.  Of course, only when you feel the pain of no regular income and many late nights, coupled with lots of soul searching, do you really know that being on your own brings its own set of conundrums.

Hell bent on improving services to the hair and beauty business by developing inexpensive software to operate an online booking portal, we were working full throttle when Shine Productions first approached us.  They asked if we would help them make a TV programme about businesses in a recession.
It sounded fantastic – what new company would turn away this level of publicity?  However, when Shine started to talk about their dress down Friday idea – and the extent of the dress down (i.e. naked) – I remember thinking, this is not for us.

So at first we refused on principle.  But then we were introduced to Seven Suphi, who is a phenomenally insightful woman.  We looked at her track record, the types of multi-national companies she has worked with and the achievements she brought to those organisations. Her idea was to unite our team with a challenge we could all face together – to come to work naked. Suddenly it was a no-brainer – we knew Seven’s radical approach would bring so much to our small organisation in a very short time.

One team meeting later and it was a unanimous YES – but with the proviso that INAA.com would leave the decision to get naked with the individuals involved and no pressure would come from management.

The week of filming was certainly a new experience for us all. However, the most interesting aspect for our team was the business exercises, which brought a better understanding of each individual’s impact on what they do and how they interact with the other members of the team.  Sadly though, this doesn’t make great TV and so most of it has been cut from the programme.

By mid week we were all enjoying the filming – but at the back of everyone’s mind was what to do about Friday, and the naked office.  That’s when I thought, Demi Moore and body painting. It met with our modesty and ideals, and it fitted nicely with our image.  It was a mad dash finding the artists but the end result was perfect. We spent the day naked, but painted, and it turned out to be fun – if a little chilly.

So, apart from the publicity, what did we get out of it?

Well our week of intense learning about our own behaviours and how it affects others, from our expert Seven Suphi, led to redistribution of roles and responsibilities covering each aspect of the business. We created and implemented a better-shaped business plan. And each member of the team found their inner selves and reached out to embrace the INAA.com principles and vision.

If someone had asked me six months ago would I go naked on national TV, I would have thought ‘are you crazy?’ But here we are with our television debut set for  the Virgin One channel in the next few weeks.

Oh, and just for the record, I did not fire my mother three times – it was only the once, honest!!!

Joanne Reid, MD

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From the Times Online….

The naked truth about teambuilding