Christmas parties and meals can be a great bonding experience, but they’re also an opportunity for you to thank your team and motivate them for year ahead. A well planned speech can go down a treat. But where do you start?
Think about the people you want to recognise
Christmas is time of giving so it’s a great opportunity to thank those in your team who have gone the extra mile. If someone has risen to a new challenge, chances are they’ll be delighted to hear that you’ve appreciated your efforts. The less formal setting allows you to show your personal gratitude for what they’ve done.
Keep it light
The party or meal should be an opportunity for staff to relax. Jokes can go down a treat. Self-deprecating ones in particular will remind your team that you don’t take yourself too seriously. Clearly, this is not a time to bring up sales targets or annual budgets. Keep the speech off anything potentially stress-inducing and things will go swimmingly.
Keep it tight
Don’t rush, but let people get back to their booze or meal with plenty of time! Five minutes should be plenty.
End on an optimistic note
Whether you’ve had a good or bad year, now is the time to get your team thinking positively about the next one. If you think they’ve got what it takes to come out swinging in January, tell them. If there are new opportunities on the horizon, drop a hint as to what these might be. Leave them with something positive to think about over the Christmas period.
Follow this advice and you won’t go too far wrong. And from all of us here at Vensa Coaching, have a fantastic Christmas!
Photo credit: David Singleton