Christmas is arguably one of the best times of year. There’s something so special about getting involved in the endless holiday festivities and traditions. Some of the classics include putting up a killer tree, listening to Christmas FM on repeat, and eating to your heart’s content, with the reassurance that you’ll be a new you come January 1st! However, Christmas in also one of the busiest times of year, especially in the office. There’s always work to get done before the year ends, deadlines to meet and projects to be completed. With this in mind, how do we go about spreading some Christmas cheer and festive spirit during an oftentimes stressful few weeks? There are a number of practical things you can do to ensure that the workplace is a merry place to be during this time of year!
#1 Decorate Your Office
One of the first things that comes to mind about Christmas are decorations. If you want to spread the Christmas spirit in your office, after having already set a date for the staff night out, is to decorate your workplace and to not hold back! Putting up decorations as a team will for sure act as a real bonding experience, allowing you to share some laughs. Also, it really doesn’t require too much effort, especially money wise. There are an array of festive ornaments, figurines and fairy lights, from classic to the more modern ones, to be found in euro stores and supermarkets. Even better, take a more eco-friendly approach and make your own out of recycled paper, books, office stationery, near next to anything can be made into a fabulous ornament. You can get some inspiration here on Pinterest.You can also take this to the next level with a ‘Xmas Desk Decoration’ competition, using only recyclable products. It helps the general environment but also boosts creativity among your employees and allows them to give a personal touch to their space.Taking some time out of the work day to do this shows your company has some Christmas spirit and doesn’t take themselves too seriously.
Creating some sort of magical Winter Wonderland in the office will boost the team’s morale because, lets face it, working during the holiday period isnt how you would ideally spend the time! If budget allows, get a Christmas tree for the office, and leave beautifully wrapped gift boxes under it for all the staff and also some to donate to charities. Finally, if you are a planner, consider decorating your office early, as it is said that putting up Christmas decorations early makes us happier. Who doesn’t love a bit of Christmas cheer, even as early as November? Or maybe is this too early for you? You can leave a comment to let us know!
#2 Share Food – Everyone Loves Food!
Another way to spread that Christmas cheer in the office is with food. There are many different ways you could share in this experience, like giving out sweet treats such as gingerbread men, cookies and warm mince pies. This is bound to put a smile on people’s faces. A really innovative and trendy idea would be to set up a hot chocolate bar where people can choose from various chocolate flavours, milks, marshmallows and other delightful toppings. Needless to say, everyone loves hot chocolate and it screams comfort, warmth and happiness! Setting up a station where employees can make their own would be a lovely collective experience and acts as a wholesome break from work.
There is also the well known idea of the potluck, but it can be done also with a bit of Christmas spirit. Especially with a multinational team, this can be extremely fun. Encourage employees to bring in traditional Christmas food that’s eaten in their country and share in a unique experience. Another thought might be to exchange stories and traditions that are custom to everyone’s home country. This is a lovely way to spread a sense of belonging and community, especially if a work colleague is not long to the country. Also, sharing food traditional to their culture might make them feel a little less far from home during this time.
#3 Start Some Festive Office Traditions
Similarly to food, Christmas traditions are another brilliant way to spread some festive vibes. Starting traditions that you can continue doing each time December rolls around builds a sense of excitement in the office. This is a welcomed addition if you want morale to remain high during this busy period. A very well known tradition which is often done both in the workplace between colleagues and at home amongst family members is Secret Santa. This much loved tradition can be done in various ways. However, it normally takes the form of putting everyone’s names in a hat and then each participant picks out someone to give a present to. The idea is that it is anonymous and you don’t know who your ‘Secret Santa’ is.
The beauty of it that you are left guessing who has you, and stimulates a child-like curiosity and playfulness. Another great tradition to implement is a ‘Ugly Jumper Competition’. It is a light-hearted way to promote some friendly competition amongst employees. The tackier the jumper the better! If you have an old jumper from past holidays, you can make it stand out from the rest with a little craft DIY. Bobbles, sparkles, stickers are all readily available in craft shops and allow you to make your own weird and wonderful jumper design. With a little thought and imagination, your creation can go a long way and might even see you winning the competition!
#4 Play Some Christmas Games
Similarly to Christmas traditions, playing some games is another great way to create Christmas cheer. Games have a powerful effect on us that bring us back to our childhood and we often don’t get the chance to play them enough. When we are engrossed in a game involving other people, we are forced to be in the present moment and we can truly enjoy ourselves. Pairing up in teams for Christmas games is also great to get to know other colleagues better and creates a sense of comradery. There are an endless number of board game classics for instance, that are played during this time which never fail to entertain such as Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit. Another Christmas game that you could play would be ‘Name That Christmas Tune’ where one person sings a line from a Christmas song and everyone else has to guess the song. One of our favourites include ‘Christmas Charades’ which puts a festive spin on a classic by using names of Christmas carols or other Christmas related words. Think outside the box!
#5 Show Some Kindness Towards People In Need
Finally, spreading the Christmas spirit in the workplace is not only about what you do in the office but also outside of it. Perhaps the best way to share in the Christmas spirit, is to give and make somebody less fortunate that little bit happier. This is something we might regularly do outside of work but oftentimes we forget this is something we can partake in in our work lives also. Research has shown that giving makes us happier than receiving. With this in mind, it is important that our workplace becomes a place of giving as well as receiving if we are to really spread the Christmas cheer. There are many ways your business can give back this season, perhaps one of the most common things we do is donate money or presents to those in need in war torn or third-world countries. However, what about those in need in our community? The homeless or poor in our own cities? Your team could rally together and buy small gifts to make up a hamper or donate money. Every year, for instance, our team at Radius Office partake in a Charity Kris Kindle, donating gifts to the Smyly Trust, a charity in Dublin that looks after young people in need. On the other hand, If money is tight for some, your team could give their time. Take a couple of hours to volunteer as a team in a soup kitchen for instance. Knowing that your helping those in need will only increase good feelings amongst employees. If you don’t know where to start, just have a look at any local charity.
To Wrap Up
Evidently, there are numerous ways to spread Christmas cheer in the office this year, and this special season for sure must not be dismissed in the workplace. When we put a little time and effort into establishing traditions and customs in the office during this time it really makes all the difference, to company morale and in turn to work output. It acts as a much appreciated reward after a year of hard work and dedication. With all that goes on in the office over Christmas time, it is understandable that the workplace won’t be the most consistently ‘productive’ of all places in December. While in high spirits, it is a good time to start planning how you can make January and the year that follows the most productive yet. Start with the office, when the decorations are taken down come the end of the month, it can become a very dull place. Rearrange the place for a breath of fresh air or add some colourful accessories, if you have an open plan office that can be exactly what it needs. Consider how you might better impress clients or have more productive employee meetings and brainstorming sessions, by way of introducing new furniture in your meeting room . The options are endless!
At Radius Office, we are getting into the Christmas spirit by offering you 10% OFF all products from our meeting room range for the month of December when you use the code XMAS10 at checkout or when enquiring about the product.
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