Christmas and the holidays are coming and it is a magical time of the year. The colors, decorations, and music all culminate in a feeling of joy for many people.
If you're a business owner who loves the holiday season and you want to spread the festive spirit, there are a few ways for you to accomplish this task in a safe work environment.
Holiday Spirit is Important
While many people enjoy all of these positive and beautiful aspects of the holiday season, some people struggle around this time of year. Seasonal depression is a common villain that makes its appearance around the holidays. Those who suffer from this disease often don't realize it. If they do recognize the symptoms, they keep it to themselves. This is especially true for your employees and customers.
Your employees work so hard for you, and your customers dedicate their hard-earned money to keeping your business open with their patronage. Keeping the Christmas spirit alive for them is important because it may just be the one bright spot during the holiday season that they get to enjoy.
You're the Mood Maker
As the owner of your business, you are the lead authority figure. Your employees look to you as an example of how to act and dress to maintain a professional environment.
“Dressing to impress doesn't always mean getting decked in a shiny new tux to wow friends and family. Dressing to impress means that you find an outfit that’s perfect for the right occasion and a Christmas suits is, if you believe it, perfect for a Christmas party.” (source)
When the holiday season arrives, festive clothes and decorative pins are beloved ways to show one's holiday spirit in the workplace. To ensure that your employees feel comfortable adorning holiday clothes and accessories, take the initiative to be the first one to walk into your business wearing an ugly Christmas sweater or a Santa Claus hat.
Encourage a Gift Exchange
While it's true that the meaning of the holidays isn't about gifts, giving someone a present can be a way to show a person that you care about them. It's also been suggested that the simple act of giving a gift can increase a person's happiness since it's considered to be an act of kindness.
In keeping with this spirit, it would benefit your employees’ morale greatly if you were to host a gift exchange. Since most people will be participating, you should probably get everyone’s opinion.
“Most gift exchanges start with a fun theme that dictates the kind of gifts everyone will buy. [We] suggest getting your coworkers to pitch potential themes, then having everyone vote for their favorite. It’s a great way to get people involved and excited about the upcoming festivities.” (source)
Write down the name of your employees on a small piece of paper. Fold these pieces of paper into tiny squares so that the names are hidden. Place these squares into a basket or a bowl, and have everyone draw out a piece of paper at random.
The gift exchange can happen any time during the business day when people have the time. Alternatively, you can take it one step further and plan an office Christmas party.
Throw an Office Christmas Party
An office Christmas party gives you the chance to mingle with your employees. It allows everyone to relax, enjoy some delicious food, and to put aside any office tensions or complaints.
An office Christmas party is also a great place to host your employee gift exchange. A holiday party will boost employee morale, help you to be more personable with your employees, and promote the building of bridges between everyone involved.
Putting together office celebrations can sometimes get out of hand. Make sure that your business has the insurance it needs to weather the holidays and keep your assets secure.