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Holiday Parties 101: Risks and Returns
Written by: Donna FlaggArticle Overview: With lavish holiday parties not only raising questions but eyebrows too, companies are debating the appropriateness of costly year-end celebrations during these faltering economic times from both a financial and public relations perspective.
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Holiday Parties 101: Risks and Returns
With lavish holiday parties not only raising questions but eyebrows too, companies are debating the appropriateness of costly year-end celebrations during these faltering economic times from both a financial and public relations perspective.
What appears to be the trend this year is that businesses are taking a low key approach and opting for more intimate, smaller group gatherings in lieu of the grand fanfare that may have been the standard in the past.
But either way, on whatever scale, it is worth setting up some ground rules in advance to make sure that you are not faced with repercussions in the aftermath. For example, there is nothing wrong with stating, for instance, that getting inebriated is probably not the smartest choice one could make in a professional environment. Not because drinking should be forbidden per se, but because it is risky to engage in behavior that could alter individual judgment. Think about it, we’ve all heard the horror stories about holiday parties gone bad – a sales guy takes a dare to perform a striptease on top of the bar, the CEO’s assistant trips on her way out the door and remains face-planted on the sidewalk and of course, some junior staffer invariably vomits on someone among the senior ranks.
So a note of caution! Make sure employees understand that they drink at their own peril, and may very well cross that critical point-of-no-return that leads them to debilitating embarrassment at best, and a career-ending move at worst.
That’s only part of the potential cost, however; and it is typically one paid by the employee. But what about the financial cost incurred by the company? Why not turn that money into an investment capable of producing a longer-term benefit? Here’s how:
1. Combine the party with some sort of activity that involves everyone. This is a powerful culture-building tool that brings employees together in a way that alcohol can’t...and won’t.
2. Create cohesion by sharing stories, taking pictures or videos and connecting employees to them after the fact.
3. Boost morale by recognizing people for special contributions and highlighting notable team accomplishments. This is a good time to shine a light on those who deserve a public pat on the back.
Remember, not only are holiday parties an opportunity to bring employees together for a good time, but they can also be made into a potentially rich employee development opportunity as well.
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Article Tags: appropriateness, choice one, cohesion, critical point, economic times, embarrassment, eyebrows, fanfare, group gatherings, holiday parties, horror stories, inebriated, peril, point of no return, professional environment, repercussions, sidewalk, staffer, term benefit, year end
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About the Author: Donna Flagg RSS for Donna's articles - Visit Donna's website  Donna Flagg spent over 15 years in business before founding The Krysalis Group, a consulting firm specializing in management, marketing, training and sales and their respective relationships to business results. Her management career began in sales at CHANEL, and before branching out on her own, she spearheaded a new training function within the Investment Banking Division at Goldman Sachs. After earning a BA from Rutgers University and gaining experience on the front lines of Corporate America, Donna went on to attend New York University's Graduate School of Education where she obtained a master's degree in Organizational Development and Human Resource Management, and a post graduate degree in Business Education. She has also been a speaker at City University of New York (CUNY) and New York University through Stern Business School and Delta Pi Epsilon, a national honorary professional graduate society in business education and training. In addition, she speaks at various conferences including those conducted by The Business Leadership Network and The Conference Board, where she was also on the advisory committee for the Enterprise Learning Strategies Conference. For her communications expertise, Donna was invited to be a host at the Liz Claiborne Leadership Offsite to discuss branding during their "Progressive Dinner" event and more recently, a speaker at the Inc. Leadership Conference in Dallas, TX. Donna is the author of Surviving Dreaded Conversations and is blogger on Pyschology Today and The Huffington Post. She is frequently featured in the press for her workplace expertise in outlets including CNBC, the New York Times, WOR, and XM Satellite Radio. Donna currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Randy Foye Foundation where she actively participates in its mission to assist children and families in Newark, NJ. Click here to visit Donna's website   Finding and Forming Your Corporate Identity Scaling Efficiencies and Reducing Redundancy by Connecting People with Products Tips on Creating Surveys to Measure Employee Satisfaction Guidelines to Help Busineses Manage Friendships at Work How to Handle Discrimination Claims |
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