WOULD you turn up for work naked?

This was a strange programme in which Newcastle-based advertising company onebestway brought in business coach David Taylor to help them confront the problems that were leading to them struggling with productivity and communication.

He immediately implements a week-long strategy that manoeuvres staff into confronting “the naked” truth behind their difficulties and culminates in them being set the task of turning up for work in the buff on the Friday. Gulp!

The week began with a naked male temp coming into the office for a day, which ruffled a few feathers. “Pull your desk right in,” one worker told him, while the reaction of the two women was somewhat mixed: one looking visibly delighted, the other rather uncomfortable.

The week would gradually go downhill from there. On the Wednesday, David mails staff to say they must all photocopy a naked part of their body. They do, ranging from a finger and a foot to, er, Sam’s breasts. Lisa also photocopies her assets, but later changes her mind and substitutes her hand. “I went in thinking I was going to do a certain thing and came out having done something else.” Sam is slightly more open: “I thought, ‘you’ve not seen these before, so let’s go for the boobs’. I wanted to show my personality and there’s nothing to hide.” The others in the office’ll be the judges of that.

Ben photocopies his behind, but won’t be able to make the full showing — so to speak — on Friday as he has to attend a wedding. He does, however, agree to submit a cut out nude of himself.

Should anyone take offence, the Dean of Newcastle Cathedral turns up to give his blessing to the naked office.

Thursday sees nude model Lesley turn up at the office for a life-drawing session. Mike asks her what her favourite part of her body is: “My breasts,” she says. “So is mine,” says Mike.

David gets Mike and his deputy Mark together and asks them to confront their differences. He says the aim is to be completely open, naked even, with each other and “look at what combines you, not what separates you”. They nod their agreement, but don’t look convinced.

Then it’s naked Friday: Waaaaheeey — or not as the case may be.

Predictably, boss Mike’s first out of the traps and drives to work completely naked, attracting strange looks from a chap on a bus en route. Paul and Mark follow (birthday) suit and Lisa turns up in her underwear. Mike has to answer the door, with strategically placed pad, as Morgan arrives wearing a thong with an oinking pig attached, before Sam strides confidently in and proceeds to make a round of drinks wearing absolutely nothing at all.

David believes that the emotional nudity has helped them all link nakedness and openness, so well done everybody.

It turns out that, since the experiment, turnover has increased massively and the company is having its best year ever.

So then, who’s up for it? We could even do a charity calendar. Oh, it’s just me then.