How to Party Like It’s Holiday 2024
Dec 08, 2024
Announcements of holiday parties are met with either go-for-it’s or groans.
The go-for-it’s are the ones who enjoyed last year’s party or just look forward to any social experience.
The groans are the persons who remember last year’s party with disdain or generally avoid socializing with their work mates. They wonder, “How do you do an office party on Zoom, anyway?”
What’s your party culture like?
How consistent is it with your year-round culture?
Here are three positive work culture traits guaranteed to help you Party Like It’s Holiday 2024:
Relax
Groaners are everywhere. They instinctually groan. They rarely think about it. The groan just rolls out.
However, you may experience more holiday party groaners. They often sense a need to be more extroverted, or jovial, or something other than who they are whether in-person or virtual. They feel a game of square pegs and round holes coming.
Make your culture psychologically safe for them. Encourage them to relax and be themselves. If they prefer to talk with just a few people in a deep conversation, encourage them to do that. If they’re social butterflies, flutter on without fear of ridicule.
Share and discuss in team gatherings the culture KPIs that avoid the stress of acting outside of their “normal.” That’s the stress that prompts some to drink too much which leads to all kinds of behavior that becomes fodder for toxic culture conversations.
Emphasize a culture KPI of “Relax. Be yourself.”
Remind Teammates about What They Can/Cannot Control
Since your culture embraces an emotionally intelligent value of “Relax. Be yourself,” then holiday party goers can have a good sense of what they can and cannot control. It’s an extension of your Work Positive culture. Name it for them anyway. State clearly, “Work within what you can control, not outside of it.”
This reinforcement reminds colleagues they can avoid attempts at “perfect,” i.e., telling the perfect joke or, laughing too long at the boss’ joke because he’s not that funny really 😊. There are some things they can control about the holiday party. There are more they can’t. Set the expectation consistent with daily culture: “Do the best you can at controlling what you can.”
For example, if the party has no ending time established, and a teammate’s daughter’s dance recital or son’s band concert is the same evening, make sure they understand it’s fine to stay until it’s time for the commute. They can simply give a courteous “thank you” to the party planners. Then excuse themselves. Or, if the times conflict, go to the child’s event.
Recognizing that they are the only mom or dad their child has and inviting them to prioritize family are massive deposits in their emotional bank.
Remind them of the culture KPI of “Control What You Can.”
Resolve to Enjoy
As you apply your positive work culture to the holiday party, you set a growth mindset for an enjoyable evening. Some teammates have a fixed mindset haunted by the Ghost of Holiday Parties Past. It’s hard to shake your head hard enough to un-experience that, right?
Honestly acknowledge that prior holiday parties were less-than experiences. It was what it was.
Your honesty releases teammates to resolve to enjoy themselves before they arrive. Focus their memories on previous pleasant party experiences. Entice them to see those happening and more as you detail some of this year’s delights. Help them to focus on someone they know who’s coming and how this is the opportunity for them to spend more time together.
We really do see what we look for. Set the expectation of resolve to enjoy.
Extend your culture KPIs into the holiday party with encouragement to:
- relax and be yourself,
- remind yourself of what you can/cannot control, and;
- resolve to enjoy.
That’s how you party like it’s Holiday 2024!
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