I’ve written a number of blog posts about how the holiday season can benefit your business. It enhances your branding because you can give away unique gifts that differentiate you from the competition and even your wrapping can give your logo extra exposure. Plus, this time of year gives you an excellent excuse to reach out to long-lost customers: holiday cards.
If you ask me, the business benefits don’t stop there. I think that company holiday parties are a wonderful opportunity for team building, which can certainly strengthen any firm. Now, I know that I’ve categorized this blog post under our “Networking” headline and that a company party might not fit that description for many companies, but for some it truly does. Let’s start with those.
Large corporations like the GE’s of the world certainly have departmental parties for the holidays, but they most likely also have a larger party – maybe for everyone who works in Rockefeller Center. What an excellent opportunity for someone in, say, the Marketing department to meet a producer from The Today Show. Sure, they might have seen each other in the elevator and nodded hello before, but by giving them an opportunity to really get to know one another in a more relaxed setting, they actually have a chance to form a bond. That bond could result in their exchanging e-mails and ideas, and ultimately coming up with a unique project that benefits the corporation. I know that this probably isn’t true “networking,” but if you ask me, it’s pretty darn close.
So what about companies where everyone actually does know all of their coworkers? Well, I know everyone on the Gossett Marketing team, but I still enjoy our holiday parties. It’s an opportunity for me to get to know everyone on a deeper level. One that does not involve logoed apparel and merchandise. We find common interests, laugh at bad jokes, and just generally have fun. No, we’re not really networking, but becoming better friends with the team sure does make work more fun.
I know that budgets are tight this year, but don’t cut out the office party – you’ll be doing a disservice to your business.
