This is transcript of 22nd December 2014 on HR Shapers group. Celebrating Christmas in the office is one of the most difficult task. It involves lot of ideas, works and its success depends on various factor.
[22/12 09:35] Ashish: Today Topic by Siddharth Sawant HR fm Glenmark- if ur santa in office today...distributing gifts n chocolates...also on every floor will b playing a small game ..like asking funny Q...like woman wid longest hair...guy wid a hole in his socks...any1 wid 25 paise coin...need more idea n suggestions to make festival season joyful...
[22/12 09:43] Participant 1: Interesting
[22/12 09:45] Govind Sharma: Ours have a week long celebration and each floor has a team leader who drives the team and complete floor decoration with a theme and they get point for decoration presentation creativity and driving the team and tomorrow each team has to present a skit
[22/12 09:46] Participant 2: Siddharth ...some more ideas....Purse with maximum useless paper/junk, clean and dirty table, biggest purse/handbag in office, the first person n last person to come to office, the biggest team having lunch together, individual who can eat maximum paani puri ...
[22/12 09:48] Govind Sharma: If you ask for a suggestion, last year apart from this activities I listed out all the employees, their characteristics and on the basis, purchased gift uniquely suitable to them and gave them with a funny message. Management termed it as a best initiative for Christmas you can try this, this was very painful and took almost a week but could see the joy on people's face
[22/12 09:52] Participant 2: Most decorated workspaces, ask to describe yourself using humour - best one gets the prize, santa can get the caricature done with funny messages (just building on Govind's idea) ....people producing Santa Banta times newspaper
[22/12 09:54] Participant 2: Other than 1 person deciding make small group and let them decide- sense of involvement!
Make it Organisation’s activity than HR activity!
You will see difference
[22/12 09:57] Govind Sharma: This year we have changed a bit we have asked employees to pick up a chit of other employee’s name and buy a gift within rs 300
[22/12 09:58] Govind Sharma: You can do many such things, including writing a funny appraisal letter to employee as a Christmas gift
[22/12 10:06] Ashish: Guys..get more ideas..group 1 bombarding wid ideas...will share soon...
[22/12 10:08] Ashish: Today Topic by Siddharth Sawant HR fm Glenmark n Deepak Deshpande HR fm Netmagic - if ur santa in office 2day/2mrow ... distributing gifts n chocolates... also playing a small game...asking funny Q...like woman wid longest hair...guy wid a hole in his socks...any1 wid 25 paise coin...need more idea n suggestions to make festival season joyful, colourful and purposeful...
[22/12 10:31] Govind Sharma: For funny questions you can create based on your product to see how many people know about it.
[22/12 10:39] Ashish: Guys...here group I ideas n sharing...
[22/12 10:39] Ashish: Vikram Poddar: You could do work related questions to make it more interesting e.g. you could check for the excel and PowerPoint king, the google
Vikram Poddar: Googling champion, the ravi shastri award for non stop cricket fan, the office "zomato"
Vikram Poddar: People will laugh and point at that person in the group or floor. Can be fun
Ankita Gupta: A dollar note in pocket
Ankita Gupta: Wrist watch with square dial
Ankur Berry: Guy with most cards in the wallet...max 10 /50/100/500/1000 rupee notes, anyone wid old notes, some colour hanky, shirt, trouser, type of spects, color of spects, color of bag, different contents of a ladies bag etc etc
Ankita Gupta: More than 5 rings in fingers
Ankur Berry: Yeah Vikram's idea is good too
Ankita Gupta: Longest nails
Bhushan Surve: Red sox
Ankita Gupta: Max number of cell phones
Ankita Gupta: Max number of cards in wallet
Bhushan Surve: Santa cap....hair pin with boys...medicine ...employee ID with particular number ..
Ankita Gupta: Bill of a dinner /lunch/movie frm the weekend that just passed by
Bhushan Surve: Max tattoo. Max...accessories for girls
Ankita Gupta: A silver bracelet
Bhushan Surve: Iphone 6 plus...the one who has it...u don't have to gift anything...as he anyways has most expensive phone..This can be a joke to Crack as well..
Ankita Gupta: Person with max number of colours in their dress
Bhushan Surve: Person with maximum zipper. .. ( jackets...trouser...etc)
Vivek Vyas: Anything which has a price tag. I bet you will end up giving it to a female with a price tag on sandals
Bhushan Surve: Lol...I have seen Sandals with a price tag...don't know..why don't they remove it..
Bhushan Surve: Some one...who has a maximum group on whatsapp. ...
Vivek Vyas: I always had this question but never got answers
Bhushan Surve: U can ask this person to focus on work...and no gift to him as well..another joke to Crack.
Ankita Gupta: A highly creative and thoughtful surprise by Secret Santa
Ankita Gupta: A dollar note in pocket
Ankita Gupta: Wrist watch with square dial
Ankita Gupta: More than 5 rings on fingers
Ankita Gupta: Longest nails\
Ankita Gupta: Max number of cell phones
Ankita Gupta: Max number of cards in wallet
Ankita Gupta: Bill of a dinner /lunch/movie from the weekend that just passed by
Ankita Gupta: A silver bracelet
Ankita Gupta: Person with max number of colours in their dress
Veena D'sliva: Who knows Santa's name and from where he comes....
Veena D'sliva: Ladies man in office (charmer)
Veena D'sliva: Yday in a party they asked for the person who had an oldest SMS. I thought it was different. My BIL got it for an SMS of 2009.
Ankita Gupta: Other suggestions :
1. Play Secret Santa in Offc bringing joy and surprise to your colleagues.
2. Collect money n pass on to the needy kids via NGO and make Christmas worthwhile.
3. Gift the lil not so fortunate kids in ur surroundings toys.. sweets ..warm clothes. The smile on their faces is irreplaceable.
Vikram Poddar: That's a good one Veena. Generally, make it a little more person centric like the office Javed Jaffrey or Prabhu Deva, the office Schumacher (crazy driving), the selfie queen and king, the angry young man,
Veena D'sliva: Secret Santa is a great idea....but the chits should have been given in prior ...so today they exchange gifts
Humera Pathan: We play the secret Santa game every year....
Veena D'sliva: Oh yes....comedy kapil
Ankita Gupta: 4. Flea market in Offc with Christmas decor n delicacies.
5. Christmas carol singing in Offc followed by a lucky draw
Humera Pathan: It's amazing to exchange gifts...
Veena D'sliva: The geek
Veena D'sliva: Finally make them sing carols... at least jingle bells all will know
Ankur Berry: Yeah love that part Veena...carol singing has to happen...gets everyone involved
Ankita Gupta: Veena.. we don't do mapping via chits.. but use excel macros for random pairing. The whole event goes on for a 5 days. The Santa is supposed to surprise his receiver every day for 5 days. Gifts are not mandatory every day.. u can make other person feel spcl via simple yet thoughtful gestures. This makes a per
[22/12 10:40] Ashish: Ankita Gupta: Veena.. we don't do mapping via chits.. but use excel macros for random pairing. The whole event goes on for a 5 days. The Santa is supposed to surprise his receiver every day for 5 days. Gifts are not mandatory every day.. u can make other person feel spcl via simple yet thoughtful gestures. This makes a person delve deep on other person's likes n dislikes.
Veena D'sliva: That's a very nice thought.... I recall doing this in school... We were given one week to make the person feel special.... Help them in studies/hw or anything they were weak at... you took me back to school... Very meaningful
Ankita Gupta: Also.. we decorated complete bay with red n white balloons alongwith colourful frills. Later gave surprise gifts to office boys who helped us with the same. They were overwhelmed!!!
Ankita Gupta: Veena : Thanks. We totally enjoyed last week in Offc. Truely Memorable. Ashish Gakrey,MTHR Global: OMG so many ideas...looking fwd 2 hear more fm others members...
Ranjana: Ask who has got highest increment this year .. no one will come forward..ask who has taken maximum leaves this year ..no one will come forward..ask who believes he /she is a star performer..everyone will come forward
[22/12 10:43] Participant 3: Ashish and all...just a suggestion,all these wonderful ideas and suggestions can be discussed a bit in advance of event so that these are picked up in case regional activities can be planned :)
[22/12 10:59] Ashish: Hey Kiran...its never too late to implement good things...everybody will appreciate...otherwisw wait till nx yeay....re-celebrate bcoz many of ideas r just outstanding n need NO cost at all...
[22/12 11:00] Participant 3: Yeap,true that. Just a thought so mentioned.
[22/12 11:04] Participant 2: Celebration can be on 26th Jan too !
[22/12 11:14] Ashish: In secret santa we pair people and one person who is been selected as santa in the pair has to give a gift with message mentioning some good and nice things about the person
[22/12 11:14] Ashish: Wow! So many ideas! That too in such a short time. Feel like throwing a party and incorporating many of these ideas in the game :)
[22/12 11:15] Ashish: For a change. ..all employees could be Santa's for only house keeping....all nd security staff....they are often neglected and ignored and perhaps the needy ones too
[22/12 11:16] Ashish: We usually have Santa going all around distributing plum cakes/chocolates to all employees.. we also have an in-house rock band performing/singing carol songs on each floor while Santa is distributing sweets..
[22/12 11:17] Ashish: DDD...infact make security guy santa he wud b more happy n ask employee to guess who Is santa..
[22/12 11:17] Ashish: 5 rs monginese cakes are in demand ...this time...we used to distribute that to employees. .and support staff...
[22/12 11:18] Ashish: Rajesh...agree 100%...by reading these ideas some may start planning if not thought so...many of them r just outstanding n need to cost at all...
[22/12 11:28] Participant 4: Secret Santa planned in a way that there is max interaction across orgn. Budget limit given so that no one is left out. Plus a bonus gift for someone who could crack a treasure hunt on Christmas Eve. This concept can be used for any event or festivals, have a funny gift day where your receiver could receive some unique and funny gifts like chillies, bananas etc.
[22/12 11:31] Participant 5: Piyush Jajodia- Ask employees to wish the colleagues on the floor in their respective native languages...
People carry family pics .....
[22/12 11:43] Participant 6: I agree with Baba, we had secret Santa, in LG Electronics.
[22/12 11:52] Ashish: DDD & Ashish...liked the idea of security personnel Shall implement this in our office.
[22/12 13:29] Ashish: Today Topic by Siddharth Sawant HR fm Glenmark n Deepak Deshpande HR fm Netmagic - if ur santa in office 2day/2mrow ... distributing gifts n chocolates... also playing a small game...asking funny Q...like woman wid longest hair...guy wid a hole in his socks...any1 wid 25 paise coin...need more idea n suggestions to make festival season joyful, colourful and purposeful...
[22/12 13:30] Ashish: Members...pl give ur input...
[22/12 14:14]Participant 7: Theme Dressing, Pot Luck, Very Quick Games, Bay decoration, Best appropriate gifting by Secret Santa, themed Antakshari, Pool in for an activity at an needy home, common return gift to all members, team dinner / movie outing, Guess your Secret Santa based on some funny clues etc.,
[22/12 14:39] Ashish: we have take out chits for all employees. . Every one has a name now... on 24th we are playing secret santa by gifting something to the names we got in our chits
[22/12 14:44] Govind Sharma: Ashish- we also have similar plan. Yes, for office assistants and securities company is buying it
[22/12 14:47] Participant 8: Play games with them
[22/12 14:47] Participant 8: With Santa n gifts
[22/12 14:47] Participant 8: Spend eve with them
[22/12 14:47] Participant 8: On Xmas we visit underprivileged child
[22/12 14:47] Participant 8: With help of NGO named batter then life
[22/12 15:19] Ashish: Time to become santa...ppl r most interested to take a selfie with santa...nd how can they snatch the bag full of chocolates.
[22/12 15:21] Participant 9: Ashish, we had played secret Santa last year
[22/12 15:23] Govind Sharma: You can try different type of Santa to represent diversity like Marathi Santa Telugu Santa, Rajasthsni Santa
[22/12 15:23] Ashish: Wow Govind that's goodd idea...
[22/12 15:29] Participant 10: Decorate Cafeteria, place a X-mas tree n Crib, arrange 4 cultural activities, secret Santa and Santa will distribute sweets, special lunch n snacks in d Cafeteria
[22/12 15:31] Participant 4: Inspired feom the ideas one thought : have a spoof Santa aur Banta funtime event that
[22/12 15:33] Participant 11: I love the cultural Santa idea Govind.
A little off track idea from Christmas but, I was thinking if everyone in the team could have a new year resolution and they could be paired up with a partner and the partners would help each other /coach to achieve their resolutions.
[22/12 15:33] Participant 12: Nice one Govind...very different from the usual stuff we have been doing
[22/12 15:34] Govind Sharma: Thanks Ashish Sakina and Sunil
[22/12 16:24] Ashish: Sid - If u get a Church Pastor with his band, call them to ur office. They will sing nice Xmas Carols, alongwith u call children from.NGO's and ask for ur employees to Donate school books, toys, cloths... we celebrated Childrens Day on this Xmas eve with Santa...had fun
[22/12 16:24] Ashish: We used to have a children (of employees) party in cafe from 4-6. This used to be on 24th Dec - responsibility of getting children to office is of parents .. They can give pre gift wrapped gifts of their children on 23rd / 24th morning.. Which would be handed over to respective children by SANTA.. Along with other office sponsored gifts to all kids..
[22/12 16:24] Ashish: Also...company or management team can be Santa....In following different ways....
Approving a career change for an employee who has been asking for it and this was held up for business reasons. ...example...ops guy wanting to get into inside sales role or admn guy wanting to come to HR...etc....
Granting a sabbatical to someone who has been asking for a study leave, but company did not allow it due to policy...
eextension of watch period for PIP ...performance improvement plan and non performance cases ....where notice period has been served or company arranging for outplacement services for let go cases...
Approve one day camp and leave for all those who want to be santa for needy....and actually drive the entire program...
Thats all
I hope you enjoyed the discussion and got lot of ideas for your celebration, if not now, for next year.
Govind
Mumbai
December 23, 2014