Tag: holiday party

Gobble, Gobble! Celebrating Thanksgiving in the Office

Thanksgiving is a time to show thanks for what you have and for those that are part of your life.  It is also a time to show others what they mean to you and why you are thankful they are part of your life.  The same can be done at the office.

Having a “Wall of Thanks” is a great way to recognize all the individuals and their contributions to the business and to each other.  Set up a wall in a common area that everyone has access to.  You can either hang a chalkboard with chalk nearby or have a large pad of post-it notes.  Everyone can take this opportunity to write a note of thanks in appreciation of what someone has done for them.

A fun idea is to have a Thanksgiving recipe contest.  With the American culture consisting of such a mix of nationalities, many households have such a variety of takes on the basics such as stuffing, potatoes, etc.  The participants can bring in their dish along with the recipe.  I love the idea of the winner getting their Thanksgiving turkey as the prize.

Another great idea to show how thankful you are is to do a clothes drive and give back.  Set up a box in the work kitchen for the entire month of December than as a group, bring your donations to the local homeless shelter. 

Celebrate this Thanksgiving in your office by showing thanks, having fun and giving back.

Do You Need to Send Holiday Party Invitations to Employees?

I was on the Holiday party committee last year and it was the first year I was involved. There is an awful lot of work that goes into planning that I never knew or frankly, thought about. It was a good experience for me but being the newbie I had to try twice as hard to get my suggestions approved. Each year an email was sent to the employees giving the details of the party; I thought holiday party invitations would be nicer. I had to come up with a proposal that would be not be dismissed. I did some research to find the invitation I had in mind and the cost. i knew it would be a hard sell, spending money on the invite when an email worked every other year.

Save the Date Holiday Party Invitation

My proposal was centered on thankfulness to the employees that worked so hard all year and a printed invitation would be respectful of that hard work. We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. I pointed out that people like to be treated well every day but especially around the holidays when we take time to count all of things for which we are grateful. An invitation can be a kept as a reminder of a great party, it can be brought home to show the family that the company appreciates dedicated people. It says “We’re better because of you. Thanks for all you do.” Or “It’s great working with you. You are one of the reasons for our success.”

My idea was a unanimous YES! I was actually thanked for bringing new ideas to the group and the employees really did appreciate the gesture.