The end of the year marks a holiday season for many around the world. Celebrating with family and friends is commonplace and as always, we believe in extending that to celebrating with your team!
Last year we shared virtual holiday party ideas for remote teams. This year as global lockdowns ease up and teams adjust from a remote model to a hybrid work setting, we wanted to share a few more ideas for your hybrid team to ring in the new year, celebrate the holidays, and enjoy time connecting with one another.
1- Pits & Peaks Party
The end of the year is a great time to spark up a discussion to explore the pits (lows) and peaks (highs) of the last 12 months. This reflective game is a fun way to structure meaningful conversation and help you hear about what the different members of your team experienced.
This virtual or in-person game can be held in whatever format suits your team. Using a miro board to document some pits and peaks is a great way to facilitate a virtual conversation. For in-person events, we suggest finding a comfortable space, asking everyone to bring in holiday treats and speak openly about the highs and lows of the year passed.
When you’re planning this event, ask your team members to document what they want to share, because they might feel like they are put in the spot if they come unprepared. Don’t forget to keep an open mind and a kind heart - talking about disappointments can be difficult depending on how much it affected the person sharing, so remind them that it is all in a context of constant learning and growing.
P.S: We are hosting an AION Workshop about Pits & Peaks on November 25th at at 10 AM CET | 1PM UAE time. Click here to access the link and register!
2- Creating Impact Together
Across many cultures, the holidays are also a time to help those who need it most. You can extend the abundance of the gifting season by giving back as a team.
One way to do this is to reach out to organizations that support youth or education and offer to host a webinar or workshop that aligns with your mission and purpose. This can be a collaborative effort and a fun way for everyone to present and share their insights and expertise. These can be presented in-person or online.
Another way your hybrid team can celebrate the spirit of giving is by skipping secret santa and instead, pool in money and select a philanthropy (or multiple) to contribute to. Companies can also allocate an amount to each employee and ask them to donate that sum to an organization that aligns with their values. Be sure to ask everyone to share why they chose that cause and what it means to them. Aside from being of help to others, this can also be an occasion to learn more about each other’s personal values!
3- Movie Time!
There’s nothing like a good holiday movie to bring people together and commemorate the season. Fortunately, there are free applications such as Teleparty that allow you to watch a movie simultaneously from wherever you are!
Set a date for the movie night, send a form to your team to collect movie suggestions (it doesn’t need to be a Christmas movie) and get everyone to vote on the movie they want to watch. Once you set a date, make sure everyone comes prepared with their favorite movie snack.
The good news is, on Teleparty, you can also chat while watching the movie, allowing you to share thoughts, and opinions, and some banter.
4- Handwritten Letters
Hybrid or virtual teams don’t pick up on a lot of the nuances you find in a co-located setting. What do people wear to work? What do they have for lunch? What does their handwriting or stationary look like?
One way to bridge that gap is to send handwritten letters or postcards to each other and mail it by post! Share your P.O Box addresses in a document, and include a fun card or small holiday memento from your hometown or your culture.
It’s an easy way to feel closer to one another, and there’s something very magical about receiving something in the mail.
5- Game Night: Conversation Style!
Game nights are a classic in fun get togethers! Last year, we played Pictionary using Drawize but there are tons of virtual games you can play online and even more in-person!
To create a little bit more team cohesion we suggest a game about getting to know each other better. Stay tuned for our soon-to-be launched prompt card game: Cosmic Conversations. This four-category card game helps you break the ice with colleagues and dive deep into meaningful conversations about their preferences, experiences and perceptions on life. They make great stocking stuffers and a great gift for colleagues!
6- End of the Year Wall of Fame
Public recognition is one of the most highly valued forms of praise for employees. Whether you're in the office or on zoom, we suggest creating a list of fun superlatives and getting employees to nominate or vote on contenders for each category. Who is most likely to become an entrepreneur? Who is the most proactive team member? Who champions your company values? Which colleague is the holiday Grinch?
It’s a fun way to think about who has helped to shape the culture and recognize the hidden heroes on your team. You can make this a festive celebration with zoom backgrounds, fun props or even some holiday gifting!
For those who don’t celebrate the holiday calendar, this time still presents an opportunity to take a minute, spend quality time with your team and reflect on what’s passed and set your intentions for what is to come.
We’d love to see you bring these ideas to life! If you and your team adopt any of these ideas, tag us on social media on @CosmicCentaurs.