Holiday Business Traditions

Business offices celebrate the traditions of the holiday season because their clients and employees expect it.  But ask around and it seems everybody has a least favorite office holiday tradition.  Something they would happily do without forever.  There isn’t a lot of scientific data to back this up, but there are lots and lots and lots of stories.  Based on stories I have heard over the years, here is my completely unscientific list of three business holiday traditions that really should die. 

1. Gifts Exchanges/Gifts for Boss and/or Subordinates.  A big category and one with many variations (forced participation, voluntary, voluntary sort-of, white elephant, gag gifts, one dollar gifts, etc.) all of which would be little mourned if gone.  A collection for a worthy local charity would be a great substitute.  Everyone would feel the money was better used.

 There is a caution here, though.  One office had the unsettling experience of trying this, and inviting other offices in their building to participate.  Donations were to be brought to their conference room.  Inside of a week their conference room was filled to the brim with worn-out clothing, battered household goods, damaged toys, expired groceries and a variety of other junk.  There were usable donations also, but the organizers felt they had been hit by a tidal wave.  Worse, they saw the tacky side of charitable giving and wished they hadn’t.

2. Getting Drunk at the Office Party.  It is hard to kill a tradition that is so widely practiced, but we should try.  It is amazing that anyone still thinks it’s a good idea to drink so much they lose control of their mouths, balance, and bodily functions in front of people they work with.  It is true that it can be entertaining at times.  Sometimes it is the only entertainment at an otherwise dull occasion.  On the downside, though, the drunk addresses loud, inappropriate remarks to people who don’t want the attention.  A delicate stomach leads to volcanic eruptions that clear an area while drawing every eye in the room.  So many apologies are owed, so few are given.
3. Office Decoration Gone Wild.  There are offices that look like Christmas exploded, and business suffers.  When employees can’t walk through public areas because of Christmas clutter they get testy.  Visiting clients wonder if business has been put on the back burner for the holidays.  Too often, they are right.  The larger the office, the more likely that it has a more culturally and religiously diverse population.  The desire to be festive needs to be balanced with a little consideration and tolerance.  Special attention should be paid to limiting the number of motion-sensor activated noisemakers, whether the noise is music or singing, or excessively cheerful greeting.  Many people prefer to set these creatures off no more often than once a day. 

Business Etiquette does not demand that offices follow any particular set of traditions at holiday time.  Etiquette simply suggests showing respect and appreciation for clients and those we work with every day.  Do that, and your business is sure to have a happy new year.