Throw a holiday party your team actually wants to attend
We're smack-dab in the middle of holiday season here in the States. This often means awkward parties with co-workers. Even the pandemic couldn't slow down the Office Party -- it just moved to Zoom.
If you can relate to being spending your free time at forced-funtivities with Handsy Chad, centered around abundant booze and a Christmas tree, and you'd rather not perpetuate that nonsense ... this one's for you. If you've already thrown a holiday party this season, there's always bookmark for next year.
Rule 1: No holiday parties after hours
As fun as you may think the office party is, it's still an office party, and therefore a work event. Forcing your team to attend an unpaid event after hours is a no-go. Instead, host an event during normal working hours. Pro-tip: repurpose a team meeting for a celebration. We can be honest with ourselves; team meetings this time of year are less productive. And that's ok. If you lead a global team, host the celebration twice to ensure everyone gets a chance to attend.
If you're saying, "But Cassandra, my company throws this absolute banger of a party every year at a hotel and it's just so awesome." Still no. However, if you must, here are some sub-rules: 1) It is optional. 2) Pay your people for that time. 3) Make it family-friendly. Don't force your team to also pay for backup child or elder care so they can schmooze with Bob from Accounting.
At their core, holiday parties are networking events. Everyone deserves equal opportunity to engage with their peers and leaders, and folks shouldn't be penalized for being absent for reasons outside their control.
Rule 2: Don't assume what everyone does or does not celebrate
Again, I'm coming from the States where Christmas is just as much a cultural and commercial moment as it is a religious holiday. That said, it goes without saying that not everyone partakes. Firstly, there are other holidays that happen this time of year. Taking that thought a step further, for some of our coworkers, there are other significant cultural and religious moments outside the November/December timeframe. Finally, we also just don't know what people are dealing with. The holidays can be a tough time for many people from challenging family situations, loneliness, or trauma. So before dressing as Santa and setting up your own elf shop at the office, consider not everyone will feel that they are welcome in that space.
And note, this goes beyond wishing someone a Merry Christmas. By all means, if you know they celebrate, knock yourself out. The point we need to make is to get curious about what our team members celebrate and make the effort to honor that.
For those who celebrate, Happy Hanukkah!
Rule 3: Provide a variety of food and drinks
Similar to Rule 2, when we assume, we make an ASS out of U and ME. Not everyone drinks. For those who don't consume alcohol, whatever their reason, nothing says "you're not welcome here" like a banquet table full of nothing beer and wine. Same goes for dietary restrictions. Easiest way to solve this puzzle, again, is to ask your team if they have any preferences and cater accordingly.
That's it! Three simple rules to throw a holiday party your team won't actually hate attending. A little inclusion goes a long way.
#makeworksuckless #inclusion #holidayparty #employeeexperience
