Discussion Thread

By now it is likely that most of us have been involved in some sort of holiday party hosted by an employer. I thought it might be interesting to hear about some holiday party success stories and some lessons learned as well.

This post can apply to holiday parties, gift-giving stories, bonuses, etc. Feel free to expand on this idea as widely as desired.

I'll go first with some observations of my own:

Do: ask for a list of all dietary sensitivities if you are an employer who wants to get food catered.

I've seen multiple cases of people who were vegetarian, celiac, or otherwise who weren't thought of at a holiday event focused solely around food.

Do: keep virtual parties short and make sure someone is actively running the show.

I've seen virtual parties where everyone is sort of just sitting there. Most people don't want to be there and there will be a few trying to make small talk. This can go downhill very quickly if you work with staff who are still not familiar with virtual meeting etiquette (muting when not speaking, eliminating background noise, getting up and walking away for extended periods with their camera on). Its important to have someone from the company prepared to push an activity or conversation along if you are committed to a virtual event.

Don't: expect everyone to drink alcohol.

This is an obvious one but for various reasons not everyone will want to drink alcohol at an event. Having a few non-alcoholic alternatives is always a plus.

Don't: pick an event that may exclude a large amount of people.

Activity based parties are a blast, but make sure to pick the type of activity that can accommodate people of varying ages, levels of fitness, and mobility.

Don't: be afraid to list a few ideas and let your staff be involved in the decision.

In the past, I've seen employers present a few ideas and let the staff decide what to do that year. It usually turned out well and resulted in a larger turnout than otherwise.

Don't: be afraid to do smaller group parties if a single large party is going to be difficult to do well.

There have been many years where the company I work for hosted different company events by office. Sometimes these work better than trying to get a larger amount of people who don't really work together into the same space.

Do you have any other suggestions for what makes a good holiday party or event?

By now it is likely that most of us have been involved in some sort of holiday party hosted by an employer. I thought it might be interesting to hear about some holiday party success stories and some lessons learned as well.

This post can apply to holiday parties, gift-giving stories, bonuses, etc. Feel free to expand on this idea as widely as desired.

I'll go first with some observations of my own:

Do: ask for a list of all dietary sensitivities if you are an employer who wants to get food catered.

I've seen multiple cases of people who were vegetarian, celiac, or otherwise who weren't thought of at a holiday event focused solely around food.

Do: keep virtual parties short and make sure someone is actively running the show.

I've seen virtual parties where everyone is sort of just sitting there. Most people don't want to be there and there will be a few trying to make small talk. This can go downhill very quickly if you work with staff who are still not familiar with virtual meeting etiquette (muting when not speaking, eliminating background noise, getting up and walking away for extended periods with their camera on). Its important to have someone from the company prepared to push an activity or conversation along if you are committed to a virtual event.

Don't: expect everyone to drink alcohol.

This is an obvious one but for various reasons not everyone will want to drink alcohol at an event. Having a few non-alcoholic alternatives is always a plus.

Don't: pick an event that may exclude a large amount of people.

Activity based parties are a blast, but make sure to pick the type of activity that can accommodate people of varying ages, levels of fitness, and mobility.

Don't: be afraid to list a few ideas and let your staff be involved in the decision.

In the past, I've seen employers present a few ideas and let the staff decide what to do that year. It usually turned out well and resulted in a larger turnout than otherwise.

Don't: be afraid to do smaller group parties if a single large party is going to be difficult to do well.

There have been many years where the company I work for hosted different company events by office. Sometimes these work better than trying to get a larger amount of people who don't really work together into the same space.

Do you have any other suggestions for what makes a good holiday party or event?

By now it is likely that most of us have been involved in some sort of holiday party hosted by an employer. I thought it might be interesting to hear about some holiday party success stories and some lessons learned as well.

This post can apply to holiday parties, gift-giving stories, bonuses, etc. Feel free to expand on this idea as widely as desired.

I'll go first with some observations of my own:

Do: ask for a list of all dietary sensitivities if you are an employer who wants to get food catered.

I've seen multiple cases of people who were vegetarian, celiac, or otherwise who weren't thought of at a holiday event focused solely around food.

Do: keep virtual parties short and make sure someone is actively running the show.

I've seen virtual parties where everyone is sort of just sitting there. Most people don't want to be there and there will be a few trying to make small talk. This can go downhill very quickly if you work with staff who are still not familiar with virtual meeting etiquette (muting when not speaking, eliminating background noise, getting up and walking away for extended periods with their camera on). Its important to have someone from the company prepared to push an activity or conversation along if you are committed to a virtual event.

Don't: expect everyone to drink alcohol.

This is an obvious one but for various reasons not everyone will want to drink alcohol at an event. Having a few non-alcoholic alternatives is always a plus.

Don't: pick an event that may exclude a large amount of people.

Activity based parties are a blast, but make sure to pick the type of activity that can accommodate people of varying ages, levels of fitness, and mobility.

Don't: be afraid to list a few ideas and let your staff be involved in the decision.

In the past, I've seen employers present a few ideas and let the staff decide what to do that year. It usually turned out well and resulted in a larger turnout than otherwise.

Don't: be afraid to do smaller group parties if a single large party is going to be difficult to do well.

There have been many years where the company I work for hosted different company events by office. Sometimes these work better than trying to get a larger amount of people who don't really work together into the same space.

Do you have any other suggestions for what makes a good holiday party or event?