2020 has been a bit of an annus horribilis… and we’re looking forward to saying goodbye. That’s why, even though we’re teleworking, we’ve decided to say goodbye in style.
Not that we are going to reinvent the wheel, because we are clear about one thing: Christmas is a tradition. And in Zapiens we are very innovative, but we recognize that there are customs that are funny.
So let’s go for those traditions… with a twist.
Here are our ideas for celebrating Christmas in the company, making the most of remote work.
5 easy ideas for a Christmas plan in your company
You don’t need to spend a lot of time (or a lot of money) to put together an unforgettable Christmas.
If you put a minimum of desire and love into it, it’s enough. Originality is an extra, so here are a few ideas for you to adapt to your circumstances:
1. The company lunch, online.
It is clear that the business lunch or dinner is going to be complicated in person.
Let’s be responsible: you have to hold meetings with limited capacity, with a mask, and if possible in open spaces.
But let’s not forget one thing: in your company people have given their all this year, so something has to be done!
The solution is obvious: this has been the year of zoom or any tool that allows you to make videoconferences, why not continue in this line?
Open a group room and dedicate a little time to chat, toast, or even share a meal. There are companies that send you home a special menu, and you only need to heat it up a little bit.
Prepare something tasty. (Ghiphy)
2. Get people to participate: set up a contest.
Hands up anyone who doesn’t like to play games once in a while! (Even if it’s Candy Crush when nobody’s looking).
No one?
Of course not!
At Zapiens we like this gamification thing, and we use it to promote curiosity, participation and proactivity: it’s not about learning passively, but about encouraging people to look for the information they need.
If you want to know how, it’s very easy: ask us for a Demo, without obligation, and we’ll tell you live.
What contests (easy and fun) can you do?
Costume contest
Reindeer antlers, a Santa Claus hat… ask people to wear Christmas costumes. This will add color to the meeting, increase involvement, and you’ll have a few laughs, which is what it’s all about.
Decoration contest
This year we’ve been gossiping about everyone’s homes, so how about asking people to decorate their workplace? A few LED lights or garlands will do the trick, but maybe someone will surprise you with something more aesthetic or fun.
Wallpaper contest
Let’s make it even simpler: just ask attendees find a creative photo to use as wallpaper. There’s always someone who goes beyond the typical snowy landscape!
3. The king’s speech.
At this time of the year, it fills us with pride and satisfaction to…
This is actually a recurring joke in our company. We usually tease Daniel Suarez, our CEO, by calling him “the king of Zapiens”.
But, jokes aside, consider that from time to time the boss should “give a speech”.
Christmas is the closing of a cycle, and it is a perfect time for the CEO to address the company and take stock of the year, share the objectives of the coming year, thank the work and give an extra dose of motivation.
This is always important, but even more so this year, as we have seen little of each other’s faces in person, and it is quite possible that not everyone has learned about what others were doing.
Our CEO is not Colin Firth, but what can we do: nobody is perfect. (Ghiphy)
4. Secret Santa.
You know the drill, don’t you? Pair each member of your organization randomly, so that they give a gift to whoever gets it.
This means that you have to make an effort to get to know the other person and know what they are looking forward to. Successful Secret Santa is an art!
As always, there are some minimum rules: set a budget limit and take advantage of the Christmas gathering to open gifts and guess who has bought what.
A suggestion: this year focus everything on online shopping. If possible, helping small producers and local commerce.
Giving a gift is cool. Receiving a gift is even cooler.
5. Set up a virtual team building.
There are a lot of things you can do to enhance the good atmosphere in the company, taking advantage of the opportunity for people to interact with each other. It is always interesting to promote teamwork; but even more so when working remotely.
- So how about some trivia questions about your colleagues? That way we get to know more about the lives of the people with whom we share, side by side, the workday.
- Or create an exercise and subdivide people into rooms so they can work on it and share it later.
- Or set up a virtual escape room in which everyone has to work together to solve the tests.
These are just ideas, of course. But keep the main one: that people participate and contribute, and not just be on the other side of the screen to see what they are told.
All set for Christmas in the company?
We hope these five ideas for celebrating Christmas remotely have given you some inspiration.
They’re simple and effective (and we’ve tried almost all of them; no Secret Santa this year).
Above all, we love them because at Zapiens we are very clear that technology connects us. So use it to throw a good party and close this year as it deserves!
Goodbye, 2020, good riddance! ?
Hello, 2021. We expect great things from you! ?
Request your FREE Demo now.
With all the brains in your organization connected to each other, your team will be more productive than ever.