Well, we are well and truly into the festive season, and teams everywhere are looking forward to their Christmas night out.  Or are they?

Many people dread the team Christmas party – for some, the thought of spending hours socialising with the boss and watching their Ps and Qs whilst still trying to enjoy a drink or two is just too much to bear.  And of course every year we hear the inevitable (and often humorous) stories of ‘career-limiting’ faux pas due to excesses of one kind or another.  So, if you’re planning to take your team out for Christmas, how best to ensure it doesn’t end in disaster?

1. Set out the ground rules.  Let your team know the score – not just where and when the party is on, but something about the style of the event, dress code and a nice but clear reminder of the behaviour you expect.
2. Talk money.  Are you picking up the entire tab or the meal only?  Nobody wants the embarrassment of going out with no cash, to find that only the first drink was on the boss!  Being clear about what’s on offer will avoid awkwardness for everyone.
3. Celebrate your team’s successes.  However large or small your team, it is likely everyone has worked hard and achieved a lot for you over the course of the year.  Consider how you could use your event to reward or recognise your team members – one of our 8 steps to effective team building.  You may want to give everyone a gift, or hold some kind of award ceremony, recognising particular individuals or achievements.
4. Do something for someone else.  If you’d rather avoid the minefield of gift-giving, consider doing something that raises money for charity – hold a ticketed event and donate the proceeds to a chosen charitable organisation, or get everyone to bring a gift and donate them to a local charity.
5. Build relationships.  Take the opportunity to get to know your team members in a social capacity, and don’t spend the evening talking about work.  Your team members will appreciate you getting to know them as a person much more than any amount of time meeting one-to-one in the office to talk about their performance.  Use the office party as a chance to show your social side, too.

Finally, enjoy it!  If you relax and enjoy yourself, your team members will too.  Handled in the right way, the office party can be a fantastic teambuilding opportunity contributing to another great year in 2007.