By | John Boitnott | Contributor at Entrepreneur.com and The Motley Fool
With more and more workers headed back to the office in person, company gatherings are returning too. Here’s how to avoid the monotony and do them right.
In these tumultuous times, it’s important more than ever to develop a company culture where people can feel both joyful and productive in person. You typically want to team members to feel comfortable relaxing around both bosses and coworkers. Office parties are undeniably still a part of this equation.
I’ve talked in this column about how to do remote birthday parties creatively, but these days those gatherings aren’t always enjoyable or feasible for every team member. Because it might have been a while since you’ve been back at the office consistently, you probably haven’t planned an office party recently. You might be starting to remember that although these events should be a fun and easy break, they can be stressful to plan and to attend.
There are many questions to answer both logistically and professionally for employers.
- How important is the office birthday party for employee well-being?
- How much time and money should you spend?
- What is the balance between personal bonding experiences and productivity?
- Is the whole company invited or just those who work closely with a guest of honor?
For the person in charge, here are some ways to handle office parties like a boss.
Give people your time and energy
One of the most important functions of office parties whether they be for birthdays, job anniversaries or any special occasion — is that they are celebrations of an individual, as opposed to group-oriented celebrations such as holiday parties.
