With the holidays fast approaching thoughts turn to holiday parties. The task usually falls to the Administrative Assistant and a team she puts together. In the 60’s and 70’s, office parties were more formal affairs, held off-site at a hotel or country club with a sit-down dinner, dancing and entertainment. There was always lots of food and drinks. The tab was picked up by the company, with gifts or bonuses handed out to the staff.
While companies still celebrate holidays, things have changed in many ways. With budgets cut to bare bones, there isn’t as much money for elaborate parties and open bars. Things are more low key. Pot lucks at the office, secret Santa gift exchanges, or a more informal get together at a local restaurant are more popular and cost effective. To get ready for this holiday season, here are seven tips to ring in the holidays without breaking the budget:
1. Celebrate the holidays with a potluck dinner, with a theme. Have everyone bring a dish from their own holiday tradition. The company can contribute a turkey or ham, cooked by a local grocer or deli. You can carry this from appetizers to dessert.
2. Bring everyone together. If you have people in different cities, use technology like Skype, Facebook and Twitter to bring everyone in for the party.
3. Have a Secret Santa gift exchange. Have people pick a name of a co-worker and bring in gifts for “Santa” to distribute.
4. Take the party to the community. Adopt a local daycare center, school or community center, and bring the party to them. This may take some planning, but sharing the fun and excitement with others makes for a much more enjoyable time for all. Instead of home-cooked food, you will want to order food from a deli or restaurant, and follow any dietary guidelines that the organization may have.
5. Get physical. The holidays are normally the time to overindulge, spend a lot of time eating and drinking and watching sports. Instead, why not set up a 5k walk or run, and have employees find sponsors to raise money for a local charity. Turn the tables and encourage co-workers to exercise and train for the event. Have T-shirts printed for all employees entered in the walk/run and volunteers to help with the event. Instead of rich foods and desserts, have bagels, yogurt, fruit and other healthy snacks to enjoy after the race.
6. Have a traditional holiday sing. You may not have a Pavoratti on your team, but a lot of energetic voices can make a lot of holiday cheer. Everyone knows a verse of Jingle Bells or other traditional carols. Nursing homes, senior centers and hospitals welcome groups to bring some cheer to their residents and patients.
7. Pool your resources and bring dinner for a local Ronald McDonald House or help prepare and serve dinner at the local soup kitchen or rescue mission. Working together outside the office for a worthy cause goes a long way to building team spirit and respect that carries back to the office.
Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a freelance writer, blogger, and consultant. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in "Training" magazine, "Training & Development" magazine, "Supervision," "Pulse" and "The Savannah Morning News." You can read her blogs at www.skirt.com/savannahchick, www.workingsmartworks.blogspot.com/ and on the web at www.mjnhconsulting.com.
While companies still celebrate holidays, things have changed in many ways. With budgets cut to bare bones, there isn’t as much money for elaborate parties and open bars. Things are more low key. Pot lucks at the office, secret Santa gift exchanges, or a more informal get together at a local restaurant are more popular and cost effective. To get ready for this holiday season, here are seven tips to ring in the holidays without breaking the budget:
1. Celebrate the holidays with a potluck dinner, with a theme. Have everyone bring a dish from their own holiday tradition. The company can contribute a turkey or ham, cooked by a local grocer or deli. You can carry this from appetizers to dessert.
2. Bring everyone together. If you have people in different cities, use technology like Skype, Facebook and Twitter to bring everyone in for the party.
3. Have a Secret Santa gift exchange. Have people pick a name of a co-worker and bring in gifts for “Santa” to distribute.
4. Take the party to the community. Adopt a local daycare center, school or community center, and bring the party to them. This may take some planning, but sharing the fun and excitement with others makes for a much more enjoyable time for all. Instead of home-cooked food, you will want to order food from a deli or restaurant, and follow any dietary guidelines that the organization may have.
5. Get physical. The holidays are normally the time to overindulge, spend a lot of time eating and drinking and watching sports. Instead, why not set up a 5k walk or run, and have employees find sponsors to raise money for a local charity. Turn the tables and encourage co-workers to exercise and train for the event. Have T-shirts printed for all employees entered in the walk/run and volunteers to help with the event. Instead of rich foods and desserts, have bagels, yogurt, fruit and other healthy snacks to enjoy after the race.
6. Have a traditional holiday sing. You may not have a Pavoratti on your team, but a lot of energetic voices can make a lot of holiday cheer. Everyone knows a verse of Jingle Bells or other traditional carols. Nursing homes, senior centers and hospitals welcome groups to bring some cheer to their residents and patients.
7. Pool your resources and bring dinner for a local Ronald McDonald House or help prepare and serve dinner at the local soup kitchen or rescue mission. Working together outside the office for a worthy cause goes a long way to building team spirit and respect that carries back to the office.
Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a freelance writer, blogger, and consultant. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in "Training" magazine, "Training & Development" magazine, "Supervision," "Pulse" and "The Savannah Morning News." You can read her blogs at www.skirt.com/savannahchick, www.workingsmartworks.blogspot.com/ and on the web at www.mjnhconsulting.com.
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