In the next few weeks offices will be organizing Christmas parties, holiday gatherings or, as they are known in my workplace, festive events. The challenge is always deciding on something that is not offensive but fun for everyone in the cubicle jungle.
With little doubt many ideas currently floating around various offices include the predictable pot luck lunch or the traditional gathering of staff an off-site restaurant or pub. While these are great vehicles for sharing office gossip and exchanging workplace pains, many in your office probably have more entertaining ideas. Conduct a poll of the workplace or solicit ideas for the event from your colleagues. Often the best ideas are from the people you work with.
Here are a few ideas that can bring some creative secular and affordable fun to the workplace during the holiday season.
(Insert Name of Workplace) Does Glee
Organize a karaoke smackdown between teams or individuals. If a colleague has a karaoke machine, you can hold the competition in a boardroom. Alternatively, you can organize the event outside of work in a karaoke bar. If held in the workplace, have a themed potluck lunch.
The Sound of Mediocrity
Engage in various fun tasks related to work you do on a daily basis. This exercise would look best on a performance plan for those interested in impressing management. In my workplace, activities would include seeing who can write the most coherent briefing note in five minutes, who can deliver the most concise and understandable presentation on a topic picked out of a hat in two minutes, and who can fit the most (real) acronyms in a sentence.
Gone with the Clue
Organize a scavenger hunt with clues based on interesting facts about your colleagues. Each person would have something hidden in their cubicle related to the clue. If you guess the right answer you’ll find an object linked to your colleague in that person’s cubicle. This exercise allows you to interact with your colleagues and learn something new about the people you work with. It also lets you have a brief escape from your daily chores and the confines of your cubicle.
The Wizard of (Insert Name of Workplace)
The organizer would make a list of magic tricks. Everyone in the office picks a magic trick to perform in front of the group. You can give your colleagues a couple of days to prepare. The most outrageous performance wins a special prize - appreciation from one’s colleagues! Alright, maybe a better prize can be offered to the winner. Like a Vegas act, performances could be done in front of a live audience pigging out on food.
John Costa - John was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. He graduated from the University of Toronto in 2002 with an Honours Bachelor of Arts. His ...
