Category: The Workplace

Throwing a St. Patrick’s Day Party in the Office

Throwing a party or heading out for drinks on St. Patrick’s Day has become a tradition for most people, Irish or not. Why not this year, bring the St. Patrick’s theme into your office and plan a party right there at work? Don’t go overboard but make it a green day!

In our break room in order to keep things healthy, we put out a spread of green and orange jello and a selection of fruits and vegetables last year. Keeping it green and orange, we had carrots and broccoli with ranch dressing and green grapes, green apples and oranges.

Lunch was easy. For our St. Patrick’s Day party in the office, we called a local deli for their expertise. They catered in corn beef on rye sandwiches topped with sauerkraut. We also put out a selection of orange soda, root beer and green flavored Gatorade.

Then on to the fun stuff. Of course, we had to put out the necessary dessert spread for the party. We had a variety of cupcakes, cookies, and donuts all decorated with St. Patrick’s Day goodies. One coworker filled a green and gold top hat with those chocolate gold coins. Our boss had an ice cream bar set up with mint chip, pistachio, and vanilla ice cream as an added treat.

A great time was had by all, and we even managed to get plenty of work done. For a fun time, throw a St. Patrick’s Day party in your office this year!

Gift Ideas for Your Boss’s Birthday

Deciding what to get for your Boss’s birthday is definitely a time when the statement “it’s the thought that counts” comes into play. What’s really going to make an impression with your boss is to think of something that she is interested in or has mentioned along the way and gift something along those lines. For example, if you know your boss rides horses, you can find a small horse or something related to horses that she can place on her desk to remind her of the passion she has for horses. It’s sure to bring a smile to her face and remember you in the process. Or perhaps she has mentioned a specific movie she wants to see or a favorite wine that she likes or would love to try. It shows that you have been listening and not just hearing “wa, wa, wa” when she speaks like in the classroom of a Charlie Brown episode.

If you want to go for a bigger ticket item for your Boss’s birthday, group gifts are a great idea and often even preferred by the boss rather than several individual gifts. Just think of the teacher at year end with 30 apples from her students instead of one awesome gift certificate to the spa that she can really enjoy. Your co-workers will be thankful too as you can often make a bigger impact with your gift and end up spending less individually. Again, be sure to consider your boss’s interests and hobbies when thinking of a group gift but some great ideas include a gift certificate, a desk accessory such as a Galileo thermometer or small plant, tickets to a show or movie or even some sweet treats or balloons to celebrate the occasion. If your boss likes the attention, you can make more of a spectacle of her birthday and have balloons or flowers delivered so the whole office can see them, making everyone super jealous in the process.

If you don’t really know your boss that well or are new to the team, keep it simple and generic or ask someone who does know her well.

Good luck with your gift buying! And whatever you do decide to get, do not forget to include a birthday card!

Disclaimer: My boss happens to be a woman which is why I referred to my boss as “she” in this post. But, I’d like to add for the record that male bosses are great too!

3 Easy Costume Tips to Follow for This Year’s Halloween Office Party

Even though Halloween in the office is all about getting dressed up and having a blast, there are a few costume tips to follow. First you want to make sure you follow the dress code if your office has one. All of the basic office rules still apply even during a party. Follow these three costume tips at your next Halloween office party:

  • Keep it simple – A Halloween office party doesn’t call for a full body costume. Keep it simple by dressing down, so to say. Go for a funny hat or a themed t-shirt. Try not to pick a costume that requires props, they can get in the way of the festivities.
  • Keep it safe – Safety is still important even during a party. When you are on work premises you must abide to the rules. Be safe this Halloween and avoid wearing a mask or any loose fitting clothing that might get stepped on or caught in something.
  • Make it fun – Instead of wearing a mask, wear a crazy colored wig or try to paint your face! Use bright colors to look like a clown, or get creative and do your makeup to look like a hungry zombie.

Winter Is Coming: When Should I Send My Office Holiday Party Invitations?

Winter is coming! Winter is coming! Most people don’t get too excited about the news that the dreary, snow filled days of winter are approaching. I really don’t either, but what I do get excited about is all the holiday excitement and celebrations that are on their way.

The hectic holiday season fills me with a rush like no other. Between work, family and friends, I am always rushing from one event to another. This is not a complaint, but getting the invites on a timely basis is extremely important. I hate to miss even one gathering.

Sending a holiday party invitation too late becomes an issue if your invitees are busy. They may already be booked. If you send your office holiday party invitations too early, then you run the risk of being forgotten. Although there is no concrete guideline on when to send an invitation, I suggest you get those invitation out about four to six weeks before the holiday party. This timing gives your guests plenty of time to save the date, find a sitter, pick out the perfect ensemble and still have time to generate excitement. Try to be respectful of your employees. They have many obligations outside the office and understand the importance of attending the annual office holiday party.

Celebrating Labor Day And Its Importance

Labor Day. While sort of a misnomer (we don’t refrain from giving thanks on Thanksgiving Day, so why refrain from laboring on Labor Day?), its meaning should in no way be diminished by its unfortunate title. Celebrating Labor Day and its importance are really ways to celebrate the fruits of living a purpose-filled and meaningful existence. Whether your form of labor is toiling away at your job, studying hard in school, raising children or grandchildren, caring for aging parents, helping others through volunteer or charity work, or through any of the other multitude of ways to work, Labor Day offers the opportunity to pause and reflect on those contributions. It can be a moment to take pride in a job well done. Or, conversely, if you feel you could do more or improve in some way, this time provides a chance for valuable introspection on your own personal growth.

Another worthwhile aspect of the Labor Day experience is to shine a light not just on yourself but on the labor of others. In the course of daily living, our lives are consistently touched by the work and contributions of others. The clerk at the convenience store, the people at the power or water company, mail carriers, crossing guards, etc. all play a part in our lives. We all make each other’s existence and the quality of that existence possible. If everyone decided one day to labor no more, life as we know it would cease to exist. So, while stuffing your face with a foot long hot dog drowning in massive amounts of highly unhealthy yet delicious toppings on Labor Day, remember the contributions of yourself and others. No matter how small they may seem, they all matter.

Tips On Creating Teamwork Synergy In The Workplace

Teamwork is definitely the best work! Sometimes getting a team to come together regularly can be difficult with everyone’s conflicting schedules. Here are some tips on creating teamwork synergy in the workplace.

Set a time

Make sure there is a regular scheduled meeting time for the team to meet, and stick to this time. Very often, many teams set up the time but after a month or two, people start missing meetings or in general folks become lazy. A team can better stick to a set time if there is something to look forward to in the meeting. Perhaps host a giveaway or have some other incentive for being on time to the meeting and attending? Think outside the box a bit here.

Meet In person

Sometimes folks’ have to dial in if they are working from home. That’s OK, but what I think is not OK to people to conference in when they can just be in attendance. I’ve found that face to face conversations are the most productive conversations.

Everyone should bring something to the table

This should be established before teamwork is started. Set goals and assign specific tasks to individuals. Outside of one’s own tasks, make sure that everyone works on other aspect of a project or goal. This way, everyone is involved and synergy is flowing. Brainstorm together and help one another. Listening is a big part of this process.

Why Your Office Needs All-Occasion Assortment Boxes

The workplace can sometimes be a not-so-personal place. Do you know your co-workers’ last names, where they live, or even their birthdays? Last minute occasions seem to pop-up all too often in the office. Be sure to keep an all-occasion assortment box of greeting cards on hand. Here are a few instances that might happen spur of the moment in your office:
The last minute birthday: Discussing birthdays with your co-workers does not seem like a common conversation to have. Because of this, birthdays seem to pop up last minute all the time. On this instance, head over to the all-occasion assortment box and pick out an appropriate birthday card to have the office sign.
A sudden tragic event: There is no predicting when something tragic happens. A sympathy card can really help out in an instance like this one. Have the office send their condolences using a sympathy card from the assortment box.

A surprise anniversary: Just like birthdays, anniversaries are not something commonly known until the day of. Offer your congratulations through an anniversary card!
A case of the common cold: You have noticed that one of your co-workers has not shown up today, and later find out that they have come down with a cold. Send out a Get Well card or a Fine Note card where the office can write their own personal message.

With the all-occasion assortment box, your office will never miss any of the important occasions that pop up unannounced.

Post-Interview Thank You Card Tips

 

You’ve aced the interview, but you aren’t quite done yet. Here’s some helpful tips on how to properly close the interview by saying thank you with a card or note:

1. Addresses interviewer(s) by name and spell those name(s) correctly.
2. Choose an appropriate Thank You card design. Keep in mind that this card is an extension of you and how you’re presenting yourself, so choose wisely.
3. Write neatly and clearly. Use a legible color.
4. Plan what you’re going to say.
5. Reference the conversation you had without summarizing. Add to the depth of the main points or expand on an important issue. Pose questions when appropriate.
6. Reflect on additional useful qualities that you possess as well as reinforcing ones you’ve mentioned.
7. Focus on how you can and will improve the company upon your employment there. Give concrete examples and use your previous employment to support your claim.
8. Realize that they might have talked to dozens of people that day. Remind the interviewer(s) of who you are.
9. Realize that you might not have been the best candidate they spoke to—demonstrate to them why you truly are worth noticing so you don’t get dismissed.
10. Send it in a timely manner. A late Thank You note is not going to help support how you “take initiative.”
11. Don’t follow-up immediately after your Thank You note. There are exceptions, but generally this is unnecessary and looks desperate.

Memorial Day: How Small Businesses Can Honor Our Military

The unofficial start to summer and a day full of BBQ’s and get-togethers, many forget the true meaning of Memorial Day. It’s a day meant to commemorate the lives of U.S. soldiers who have died in military service. Traditionally, Veteran’s Day is the time to honor war veterans, but Memorial Day offers another occasion to show respect for those involved in military service. If you own or work for a small business there are quite a few ways you can honor our fallen service members on Memorial Day. Here are a few ideas to help you get started:

  • Offer special discounts or free items to military members or veterans. Promote a special offer like a 20 percent discount on all purchases.
  • Send out a Memorial Day card with a special offer included. Customers can bring the postcard to your store to receive a special discount or a free promotional gift on or around Memorial Day.
  • Sponsor a float in your local Memorial Day parade. Many towns and cities host annual Memorial Day parades to honor service members, and they seek local businesses as sponsors for their floats to support the cost of the ceremony. Check in with your local community leaders to find out what’s going on in your area, and how your small business can get involved.
  • There are many resources for our military, and they’re always in need of funding. Pick an organization, and collect donations at your place of business.

Birthday Wishes for Everyone

As a human resources manager I am always looking to make sure the morale of the company is at an all-time high. Any little thing can matter in that regard. We try to plan socials after work to make sure our employees interact with each other, there’s the good old company picnic, and the one that never fails; the Holiday party. However, you must do the little things along the way as well.

One of those little things is the employee birthday card. Sounds like such a given in today’s world that you would get a card for an employee’s birthday but believe me most companies miss this small step towards morale boost. People like to know that you are thinking about them. This is true in life and definitely true in business. So make sure to get online and order those cards for the year because a five minute order process will go leaps and bounds to bringing the morale up in your company this year. Also make sure to vary up the cards so everyone does not get the same one. That will show you went the extra mile for your employees and they will appreciate you for it.