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Christmas looks a bit different this year.

7th December 2020
By Jade Tomassi

Struggling to come up with ideas to bring your team together when the annual Christmas party is off the cards? We have you covered!

2020 is a write off for many of us! Our lives have changed in unprecedented ways and what is more, Christmas is fast approaching, and we are not going to be able to celebrate in the usual ways.

The lead up to Christmas in work environments is a fun part of the year. The team gets festive, they might decorate the office together, and share a few drinks after work. Not to mention the Christmas party!

One benefit might be the lack of embarrassing stories to share around the office. However, it is often these embarrassing stories that help to bring our teams together. Watching your boss bring out their favourite dance moves after several bottles of wine is a highlight for many.

It is the shared experiences that Christmas time brings that can help build trust, respect, friendship, and kindness.

So, with no Christmas party this year, what things can you do to make your team feel appreciated and bring a little fun to what really has been a dismal year!

We have a few suggestions:

The Christmas Party

Just because you are not able to meet up together in person, it does not mean you cannot have a ‘party’ of sorts. It will not be the same, and let us be honest, most of us have had enough of virtual meetups to last a lifetime – but it CAN still be fun.

Get dressed up, plan an evening, and even get a bottle of wine (or two) delivered to each of your employees. Plan some Christmas games/quizzes/competitions and make the most of it.

There is also nothing stopping you planning a ‘Christmas in July’. Plan a date and organise a party at a time when *hopefully* everything is back to normal.

The Work Christmas Lunch

Ok, so we are not suggesting you all cook yourselves a turkey and get on zoom/teams to eat together. It would be a bit weird right? But use your Christmas lunch budget to send out a food voucher and allow your team members to treat themselves to something yummy and special from you. They will appreciate it. Alternatively have a hamper delivered to their door with delicious Christmas treats.

Secret Santa

Plan the Secret Santa! There is nothing better than getting creative with a tiny budget to treat a team member! There are several sites online, or phone applications, that can be used to plan it (no need to write names and put them in a hat) that automatically generates who has got who and texts all those participating with the name of who they must buy for.

Have the presents delivered to the office in plenty of time, volunteer a team member to make sure they all get posted out to the team members’, and arrange a time when your team meets online to open them together. No need for a big budget, plan small and funny. Encourage your team to buy light-hearted presents to help bring some cheer!

Christmas Jumper Day

Plan a day when you can all wear your worst / best festive jumpers. Again, jump online together. Take some photos and share them via your social media channels (where appropriate!). Frame some of the pictures to put up in the office for next year, when *hopefully* you will be back working together.

Show your appreciation

Most importantly, show your appreciation. Christmas is the best time to show a little appreciation for the team around us (but really, showing appreciation for your team and colleagues should happen all year round). You and your team, this year probably more than ever, need to feel appreciated. There are many ways to show appreciation; a small gift, some positive feedback, even an extra days’ holiday if a bonus is off the cards.

Just because things are different this year, it does not mean you cannot show your team that you appreciate them. Take the time to celebrate. And remember to acknowledge people’s hard work, as it boosts morale and keeps up the momentum. If you want something to grow, pour champagne on it!

Feeling appreciated leads to employees feeling valued. Which in turn makes them more engaged. Employees who are engaged put their heart and soul into their job and have the energy and enthusiasm to give more than is required.

We hope you have found our suggestions useful – Merry Christmas from all of us at MyPeople. and we will be sure to share some of our festivities on social media! You can follow us on both Twitter and LinkedIn.

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