The Office Holiday Party: Part 1

Tis the season … for the office holiday party! Before you and your co-workers can don your most festive holiday sweaters and break gingerbread, there is actually a lot of planning to do and I don’t mean trimming the tree.

First of all, ask around and see if anyone else is planning an office party. Nothing about rival holiday office parties sounds fun. If there is another party in the works, ask the planners if you can help or if they want to join forces to create a super office party while decreasing the work load.

All right, after clearing the office social calendar, you need to decide what kind of party you want or at least, narrow down the ideas. Will it be something in the middle of the day or take place right after work or will be people go home, change then return? Snacks, pot luck, drinks, no food at all? Entertainment or games? If you need somewhere to start, think back to last year’s party or ask around about parties in the past.

An easy, casual party idea is a potluck during the workday or right after quitting time.

I know, I know, that’s a lot of stuff to think about but don’t lose heart, everybody loves Christmas parties! You’ll be like the party Santa!

After getting an idea of what you want, check with your boss to see if throwing a party would be okay. Nothing turns bosses into Grinch’s faster than finding all of their employees not working. Present your ideas for the party but also be open-minded to what your boss says and then go from there.

With the details worked out, the rest of the party planning should be smoother than Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas.”

Now all you have to do is spread the word around the office. Invite everybody and when you talk to people about the party, make sure you’re sincere and showing how excited you are. Your holiday spirit will be infectious.

This would also be a good time to organize potluck snacks or to set up Secret Santa. It’s key to be organized with these two things. You don’t want to end up with five bags of ice and no eggnog or leaving someone out of the gift exchange. That’s a Christmas bonus nobody wants.

The easiest way to keep a potluck organized and make sure all of the main food groups get covered is with a simple sign up sheet. Post it on the refrigerator or better yet, next to the coffee machine, or anywhere everyone checks daily. Here’s an example:

Check back here on Wednesday for the second part to the “The Office Holiday Party: Part 2.” We will cover food, music and troubleshooting.

Additional Recommended Reading: The 10 People Who Will Definitely Ruin Your Office Holiday Party