The holidays will be here before we know it. And they could end with a silent night if we don’t make the best of our circumstances. Even though the expiration date of this pandemic has yet to be set, there are still ways to engage virtually this holiday season. Don’t shy away from getting creative. It’s important to interact with your work crew during these strange times.
Is your access to technology keeping you sane while working at home? Mine is. Honestly, what would we do without it? We use so much of it for work, and there are fun ways to engage virtually during the holidays as well.
You may miss the potlucks and Secret Santas that deliver to the office, but there’s still holiday spirit in the air. So, don’t be a Scrooge. Check out these 3 virtual activities. Share them with your team. And see what other ideas you can implement to celebrate “together,” while working remotely.
3 Ways to Celebrate with Virtual Employee Engagement:
1. Give Thanks:
While we may not be able to share a taste of our dishes via video, we can still share with one another. Consider sharing traditions, recipes or kind words instead. I bet you have a lot of thanks to give or words of affirmation to offer to the individuals on your team. The idea here is to spread words of affirmation, share different cultures and reinforce the comradery among your team. Pretty much everyone I know appreciates a compliment. It’s a simple gesture that goes a long way. You’d be surprised how encouraging, motivating and powerful a moment like this can be.
It’s important to be considerate of each individual’s preference for sharing. Those who don’t want to share should feel comfortable with that decision. Ask your manager or supervisor about how you can engage virtually. They can work with you to encourage participation and assure company guidelines are followed. They can also act as a mediator for anonymous submissions and sharing. This safeguards the privacy of those who wish to remain anonymous or do not want to participate. It’s best to ask a manager, supervisor or HR leader to act in this neutral role. They can collect all the well-wishes and deliver them via chat or email to each person being praised. Later on, during a Google Hangout, Teams or other interactive meeting platform, everyone who wants to share their remarks can do so “face-to-face.”
2. Exchange Gifts:
For those who may not already know, a holiday gift exchange can be a fun way to make gift-giving possible in an office environment. Endeared by various cultures in different forms, the concept typically includes an anonymous gift exchange or a practical joke gift exchange. It’s best to be inclusive of all culture, so try to keep the name of the game and its invitations general for greater participation and engagement. To keep it fair and organized, use an online generator to assign gift recipients.
Tis the season to engage virtually! So, why not layer on pizazz? You can bring even more holiday vibes to the virtual table by dressing festively. Host an ugly sweater competition simultaneously. Or pick a theme to take you into the new year with style. Formal, casual or somewhere in between, know your team and what would spark their holiday spirit.
3. Name That Tune:
The majority of us know all the holiday jingles. Some of us can even tell you the name of one after it has been played for 5 seconds. Would you be the person to name it in 3? Find out during a virtual session of “Name The Tune,” on Zoom. While someone starts to play a song, utilize the chat box to be the first to guess the song. Make it even more interesting by adding a “Finish the Lyric” element. Better yet, you can even have the winner sing to everyone on the call if they’re willing to share.
Let’s face it. Holidays can be tough. And this year there is added stress and mental strain. We are all already feeling it. Promoting positivity in the workplace can help. When you engage virtually, don’t just give presents – be present. Relax and enjoy the company of your team. Human connections are not limited to face-to face interactions. Moments for kindness and comradery ae sure to be remembered and appreciated. So, however you choose to celebrate with your team, be supportive of your colleagues. And most importantly, HAVE FUN.
