What was the start of Thought For The Week?
I had an e-mail today, thanking me for my Thought For The Week, and asking me how the practice started.
In reply, I explained that, on 18 April 1999, I was Head of Research for the Communication Workers Union and saw an article in the “Observer Business Section” that contained a sentence that I thought self-evident but so right:
“There appears to be a positive correlation between an atmosphere of ‘human playfulness’ (otherwise known as humour) in the workplace and the improvement of ‘innovative activity and creativity’.”
I sent it in an e-mail to the 12 people whom I line managed and jokingly called it Thought For The Week.
However, they liked it so much that I started to send them a thought each week. News spread around the organisation and I began to add names to the circulation list.
The idea has now been going every week for over 11 years and the circulation is now almost 1600 worldwide.
You can check out all the previous weekly thoughts here and you can register to receive the thoughts yourself e-mail me.