It’s tough to tango from two metres apart.
Christmas Office Parties in 2020 are set to be somewhat transformed from the annual ‘let-your-hair-down, few cheeky Vimtos and finding out things about your colleagues that they might not otherwise have disclosed’ affair.
Yup, thanks a bunch Covid!
But we all deserve to still let our hair down, relax and reward ourselves, and toast the conclusion of this ‘interesting’ year in unison with our beloved work chums.
So, here’s how to throw a celebration that spreads happiness and joy (and doesn’t break any rules)…
Ok, we might not be partay-ing in the pub past midnight following a scrumptious Christmas lunch but it’s still possible to add a splash of seasonal spirit to the office or spare room HQ with some good ol’ holiday tunes.
If Shakin’ Stevens was good enough for Wills and Kate, he’s good enough for us. Mariah Carey’s got a new Christmas special on Netflix but it’s never a bad thing to stick her on the Sonos (or to watch, Love Actually, actually).
And while we’re at it, decorations and a nice tree beside our desk wouldn’t go amiss. Anything to remind ourselves that, while we’re not all piling into the stores shoulder-to-shoulder, Santa is still coming.
Handing over presents might require some social distancing and a sanitising spray. But instead of picking names out of a hat, use one of the many online random number generators to acquire your partner in the annual office lottery.
You know, that time when you simply hope you’re not going to be paired with the person who thinks Ferrero Rocher is still ‘a thing’.
If you’re all working from home, it might require a courier or the lovely folks at the Royal Mail for “Santa” to deliver.
But if everyone’s on a Teams call and you’re ripping open the gifts at the same time, it will be the welcome piece of togetherness that you secretly had missed.
Recall that time in April when virtual quizzes were all the rage?
And that time in May when you really didn’t want to take part in YET ANOTHER online quiz?
Well, here’s the good news. The novelty factor can be renewed. It’s safe to go back in the water. Only this time, you can still find out things about your colleagues.
Like all those things you might have learnt around the kettle or water cooler during the week-time. Or TikTok trending queries like “Most Likely To’ or ‘Thumbs Up or Down’.
Bring a bit of banter back to your department. You can always fib a bit if you like.
Remote working has delivered challenges for communications. Things happen in one part of the organisation that others never know existed. Christmas is for sharing. So what better time to pull all the good news together than now?
If there’s no time to do it yourself, why not get a virtual assistant to write one up for you so it can be in the (E)mail in time for your last day in the office, or the first day back.
It’s good to talk and bind, even via the computer screen. In 2021, we should be able to have a good old singalong and a few bottles of fizzy cheer in the same place.
But for a few hours, get the phones diverted to a Call Handling Service and make merry with your colleagues. Put on a paper hat. Stick on a Christmas jumper.
Tango … even if it’s on Zoom.