5 Festive Tips for Getting Your Office Into the Holiday Spirit

It’s almost that time again.

You know what I’m talking about. It’s the holiday season!

Soon, we’ll all be bombarded with Christmas music and holiday cheer. We’ll make our way to the malls and stores to do our Christmas shopping.

It’s a time of year that is dramatically different from the rest.

You know what doesn’t change? Work.

Your team has probably worked hard all year, and they’re probably ready for the holidays. If you have employees, it’s important to make sure you make your team feel appreciated. You want to create an atmosphere of fun and cheer.

Now, I’m not saying that you have to dress up as Santa Claus and give out presents. That would be ridiculous.

What I’m saying is that there are things you can do to get your employees in the holiday spirit. This post will give you some actionable tips that will help you create the right atmosphere for your business.

Getting Into the Holiday Spirit at Work

Get Some Festive Plants

Festive plants can add a great holiday decor to your office. It’s a great way to set the holiday mood for your employees.

Try setting up some holiday plants. Poinsettias, holly, and olive branches are some good examples.

Of course, you can’t forget the Christmas tree. There are several different types of Christmas trees that work well for offices. Better yet, let your employees choose what tree to get!

Eat Your Decorations

Everyone loves sweets, right? Get some baskets of sweet treats and place them throughout your office. Sure, it might not be the healthiest choice, but your people will still love you for it.

As a matter of fact, you can even get team members to help with this. The more involved your employees are, the better the impact this will have.

Okay fine. If you want to go more on the healthy side, I totally get it. You can use bowls of seasonal fruits if you want.

Don’t Forget Etiquette!

Try to be inclusive. Chances are, your workforce is made up of people from different backgrounds. You want to try to honor their backgrounds as much as you can.

This could mean implementing decorations that symbolize Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, and others. You also want to take into account the comfort of your employees. Some team members might want to listen to Christmas music. But allowing this might make it hard for other team members to focus. The key is to be sensitive to the members of your team.

You also want to be careful with Christmas lights. Make sure they’re applied in a way that isn’t distracting for your employees. Oh, and if you use lights, make sure you don’t leave them unattended. You don’t want any accidents, right?

Let’s Get Competitive

Want a fun way to celebrate the holidays at your office? Hold a contest!

Yes, I know it totally sounds cheesy, but it will help you build camaraderie amongst your team members. Holding contests will bring more fun into the atmosphere of your office.

There are a few different types of contests you can hold:

• Ugly sweater contest.
• Best decorations.
• Best holiday pie contest.

Contests are a great way to break the ice and get your team members engaged. This is another area where you might want to have your team members contribute their ideas for contests.

Elves: They’re Not Just For Kids Anymore

Okay, I know this sounds silly.

Well … it IS silly. But it’s also a lot of fun.

Elves can add humor and awesomeness to your office during the holiday season. Now, I’m not talking about the Legolas type of elf. I’m talking about The Elf on the Shelf.

Stay with me here.

Elf on the Shelf is a Christmas toy for kids. But it’s something that adults can enjoy as well. The toy can be put into different poses. Each day, the Elf will have a different pose.

Of course, the idea is to put the elf in the most humorous poses as possible. It’s great for laughs.

You can have your team members place the Elf in various poses in different locations in your office. There are tons of creative poses that people can come up with. It’s a cute way to add some fun to the holiday season.

Conclusion

The holidays can be an incredibly fun time for people at work. It’s a great opportunity for you to build a closer relationship with your team. Anything that you can do to promote higher morale and a more fun workplace will help your team become more productive over the long term.

Try implementing some of the holiday tips given in this article. You’ll see a major difference in your team’s morale.

Office New Year Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "5 Festive Tips for Getting Your Office Into the Holiday Spirit" was first published on Small Business Trends