By Evan Vitale
Oh, the dreaded (but sometimes welcomed) company holiday party. Are you hosting one this year for your staff? How is it received?
Gone are the days of the stereo-typical holiday parties from the “Mad Men” era (as least I hope) as some firms opt to host a holiday luncheon or take the staff out for lunch at a nice restaurant.
However, some companies still opt to host an all-out bash complete with a formal dress code; fine dining; gifts galore and a band to boot!
If so, here are some tips:
- Talk to your staff. Ask them what they would like to do for a holiday party. Would they prefer to do something together with their spouses / significant others during the evening hours or on the weekends?
- Try your best NOT to talk business during your holiday party. We talk business 8+ hours a day, so the time to really leave it at the office is during the holiday party.
- Watch your alcohol intake and perhaps set a two-drink limit, especially if you’re the owner, boss or a manager. You don’t want any photos circulating around the Internet of you dancing on the table.
- Be sure to introduce yourself to everyone at your table and try to talk to each one of them during the evening, especially spouses (remember, no office/business talk). Try your best to remember names!
- Watch and remember your table manners. We forget these sometimes! No eating off other people’s plates; bread plate is on the left and your drink is always on the right!
While starting his company, a good business friend of mine opted to host holiday luncheons while his team was small. Everyone did a “white elephant” gift and he left the team go home early that day so they could finish some holiday shopping, etc. It seemed to go over well and his employees liked the simple gesture.
So, what are you doing for your staff this year?