The often-dreaded office holiday party may be a given, but what else can you do in your organization to the celebrate this time of year?
A Community Service Project
One option could be to provide work group leads with a list of several community service project opportunities, asking each group to sign up for one.
It could be as simple as tasking one work group with leading a Toys for Tots drive for toys to donate to children who otherwise would receive few, if any, gifts during the season.
Maybe another work group would like to meet one day at a food bank to help for a few hours, or even the whole day. I did this activity with a work group many years ago, and even though nearly 20 years has passed, it stays in my mind as a memorably positive activity. It took me far from my neighborhood and usual bubble, making my participation not only helpful to others but insightful to me. Those kinds of insights can create an employee who returns to the office with new ideas and ways of approaching a company’s products, services, and communications.
If you really want to go the extra mile, you could even ask for a few volunteers to visit a hospital on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to distribute refreshments to the hospital staff working at those times. I did this with my mother, who was a vice president at one of our community’s hospitals, and this was another activity that has stayed in my mind as something I’m glad I did. Providing volunteer opportunities for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day sometimes also accomplishes a good deed for the employees who volunteer, giving them something to do and people to do be with at a time of year that can be difficult for some. Not everyone has places to go and people to see during the holiday season.
An Employee Appreciation Day
The holiday season, all the way from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day, is a great time to assess all that we’re thankful for. There are too many stories in circulation about toxic workplaces and negative experiences with colleagues. How about all the positive experiences? I have had my share of negative ones, but I also have known some wonderful people over the course of my career.
Sometime right around now, ask employees to submit one to three names of current colleagues who have made a positive difference in their work and career, including a story or two that illustrates how great this person is. Then recognize the employees who were saluted by their peers.
You could have a lunch in the office or at a local restaurant for those who have been recognized, along with those who recognized them—or a separate luncheon for each work group or each part of the company if you have the budget for such a celebration.
It can be holiday-themed, with holiday music, decorations, eggnog, etc., but the real point of the event would be to show appreciation for team members who are a positive force in their colleagues’ lives.
Creative Ways to Let Customers Know Who You Are
Rather than send generic (boring) holiday greetings to your mailing list of customers, what about sending e-blasts out from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day with snapshots of your team members that give customers a sense of who the people are that make possible the products and services they enjoy?
Each e-blast could feature holiday well wishes “from our families to yours,” with some of the e-blasts featuring a team member with a pet(s) to give as many of your valued employees an opportunity to participate as possible and to appeal to as wide a spectrum of customers as possible. Along with the holiday greeting, each e-blast would include a personalized message from the employee expressing appreciation to customers, possibly with brief information about what the employee does for customers. If applicable, the employee also could share how they, too, use the company’s products or services in their own lives.
How are you marking the holidays this year in your organization? Is it time to try something new?