Shake Up the Office Holiday Traditions
Shake Up the Office’s Holiday Traditions
By Lorraine Grubbs
This holiday season shake up your team’s traditional ideas of giving money, canned goods or toys and wake them up to the value of immersing themselves in the activity of giving. This will help them see the immediate impact of their effort, allow them to work together as a team, and will reinforce your company’s value of the importance of giving back to the community. Below are five ideas to use for the holidays that take the traditional “just drop a coin in the bucket” to a whole new level.
Idea #1: Scavenger Hunt for the Ronald McDonald House (RMH)
The Ronald McDonald House helps families with sick children by providing a “home away from home” during the time children are undergoing treatment. They are always in need of household staples. Call your local Ronald McDonald House and they will provide you with a list of those items. Then, get your employees together one afternoon, divide them into teams and challenge them to get as many items on the list as they can in a two-hour period of time. Upon their return, gather in a central meeting location and have a local Ronald McDonald representative tell them about the RMH, thank them, and take the goods. Then, encourage them to continue the donations year round.
Idea #2: Build a Playground
Building together provides a good opportunity for teams to work side by side. Identify a local elementary school that is in need of playground equipment. Buy the equipment and have employees gather to assemble and build the playground. When done, include the teachers, children and parents in the dedication of their new facilities. This not only brings the community together, it shows employees the value of their effort when they see the gratitude on parents’ and teachers’ faces and watch the kids playing on the new equipment. Check in year round and make repairs as necessary.
Idea #3: Let Your Voice be Heard
Talented and aspiring musicians are hiding among your employees. Form a holiday choir and invite them to participate. Then, share your music with local retirement homes, hospitals and rehab centers. Your employees will be inspired by the joy on people’s faces as they sing holiday songs. And, why stop with the holidays? Take your guitar to the retirement home once a month and have a sing along with the residents. They really enjoy it.
Idea #4 Cooking for a Cause
Cooking for charity is a great way to give back to the community. After all, everyone needs to eat. The act of cooking and eating together takes us back to those holiday celebrations with our families. Have employees spend a day in the kitchen cooking for a charitable cause. Find a local shelter or a group like the Lighthouse Charity Team in Friendswood, Texas that cooks meals to raise money for those in need and put your team to work. Continue the tradition and cook monthly.
Idea #5: Operation Blue Santa
Put your employees in Santa’s helpers’ shoes. Instead of “Secret Santa”, find the Blue Santa this year. Blue Santa is the police department’s way of giving back to those less fortunate. They gather toys and deliver them to those in need during the holidays. Take your team to one of their collection centers and spend the afternoon wrapping the gifts. Then, accompany the officers in delivering the toys. It’s a great way to bond the community to first responders.
The ideas above will take your holiday giving beyond just writing a check, celebrating at a party or dropping food in a bin by the door. Shake up your office by immersing them in the giving spirit. Holiday spirit will be high, teams will bond, the community will benefit and memories will be made. And, make it the start of a regular, monthly activity.
Lorraine Grubbs is an author, speaker and business consultant who works with companies on "How to Create a Happy Workplace". Learn more about what she does at: www.lorrainegrubbs.com
