Time to start thinking about Christmas? (Guest Blog)
But how often does your company get to December before realising that there is no money in the coffers for a decent office Christmas party?
It would be no surprise if the answer to this question was - often. The Christmas party is hardly ever at the top of a manager's priority list, especially in July or August, but putting a bit of cash into a jar or a savings account now can really help make the difference once the festive seasons comes around.
How to save
Maybe you don't have the money to put away on a weekly basis. We're still in the midst of a recession, after all. Well, there are other ways to raise the cash needed to book a decent Christmas party venue.
Perhaps you could arrange a few lucky dip games where half the pot goes to the winner and half goes to the Christmas party fund. With the new football season just around the corner, perhaps a weekly 'predict the score' game will prove popular. If you don't have an office of football fans, perhaps a "guess the name" of the teddy or a friendly after-work game of cards could appeal.
Maybe you or one of your staff members are smart/daft enough to do a sponsored activity in order to raise money for the party. A 50/50 split between the party and a charity might be the way to go here...
The importance of the Christmas party
However you raise funds for the Christmas party, it's important not to underestimate the importance of this event to your entire business.
Some managers may see it merely as an excuse to get trolleyed in front of their work colleagues - but smart bosses are aware of the boosts that get-togethers like this give to team morale and ultimately to their workforce's productivity.
The end of the calendar year is a busy time in all sorts of industries. With the dreary weather and the additional workload, it is common for a workforce to become frustrated and disengaged with their job. A fun event to look forward to can really help to keep spirits high, especially if its a big knees up at a glitzy location.
Employee engagement
Many experts in management have explained the importance of giving the staff the chance to bond and have fun outside of the workplace. It is commonly believed that working as part of a team which employees respect and get on with can keep them engaged and boost their effort levels. In fact, a number of studies have shown that engaged employees are less inclined to take sick days or look for a new job.
With this in mind, is it ever to early to start planning some fun fund-raising events for your Christmas party? An epic end-of-year event could arguably pay for itself by boosting employee engagement levels.
This Christmas party can be organized at various party venues. One such being “The Brewery”. To know more click on to http://www.thebrewery.co.uk/.
Author
Annette Carroll has been blogging about topics that are related to corporate world for a couple of years now. She is ambitious and loves the fast paced life of the corporates. In her spare time she likes to listen to music and is a diehard fan of Coldplay.
