If you want to keep office morale well and truly up, celebrating special occasions and specials days is a great idea. Not only does it break the potential humdrum that can seep into a working week, but it also gives your staff something to look forward to, a change from the norm!
From Christmas to New Year, St George’s Day to Hanukah, Ramadan to Mother’s Day, Easter to Father’s Day, there are many special occasions and notable days that you can incorporate into your office celebrations, and one of the jolliest is certainly St Patrick’s Day. You don’t have to be Irish to join in on the celebrations, just like you don’t need to be a mother to celebrate Mother’s Day, or any other following for the various days we just mentioned, it’s about coming together as one to celebrate diversity and general merriment.
St Patrick may be the patron saint of Ireland, but he has brought plentiful fun and frolics across the world too on this special day!
So, if you want to bring a hint of the Emerald Isle to your office on 17 March, how can you celebrate?
It’s All In The Decoration
Head to your nearest bargain shop and grab some streamers, banners, balloons, and anything else which you can use to decorate the office on the cheap! Think green and sparkly! You can either put together a celebration team prior to the day, to help decorate the office desks and office storage units, or you can do it as a surprise, it’s entirely up to you.
Encourage Dressing Up
You could have a designated ‘green day’, i.e. everyone has to wear something green or Irish related. This is likely to create a buzz leading up to the day, as everyone is trying to decide what to wear! Again, this brings a real sense of togetherness to your office, and really boosts morale overall.
Think About Your Reception Area
If you have a reception area which is open to the public, it’s a great idea to extend the idea to that area too, to show everyone a little of the personality your office has. Think of green covered office chairs for the day, perhaps a few banners tastefully hung in your reception area, or even just a ‘Happy St Patrick’s Day’ welcome sign as you walk in. It doesn’t have to be over the top (it’s best not to be), but it does have to show a little celebration. Check out online office furniture stores for some of the most versatile options around, such as Calibre, and you can change your appearance whenever you like!
Play Some Irish Music
The dawn of the Internet has given us many gifts, but it has also made it possible to tune into various local radio stations around the world! Pipe Irish music into your office via an Irish radio station – break-time River Dancing is optional! If you don’t have the option to look into radio, how about creating a playlist of music from Irish artists, such as U2, The Cranberries, or even Westlife?!
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Don’t Forget The Food!
Make lunch time an Irish affair, with a few snacks that reflect the fun of the day. You could source a green cake, or you could look for some traditional Irish dishes to serve, such as a stew, for instance. You could take it a step further and invite everyone down to the local bar after work for a pint of Guinness! If that’s not appropriate, or the majority of your staff aren’t old enough to drink, how about creating an office drink, such as a green non-alcoholic cocktail, or a green milkshake? Just think green!
Play Some Games
Whoever wears the most inventive costume could win a prize, you could have an Irish dancing competition during lunch, and the winner is rewarded with something yummy. Basically, come up with a few fun games to bring the office together. How about the best fiddle playing effort? Or how about who can dress up as a leprechaun the best? Just get inventive, but whatever it is, make is fun and something to laugh about. St Patrick’s Day is all about fun and celebration after all. How about winning a pot of gold? Of course, this could just be a pot of chocolate coins but the thought is there!
Change the Office Screen Saver
Do you have company office screen savers? If you still do, get your IT department to change them to a green, Irish-related theme, and surprise everyone as they walk into the office and turn on their monitor! You could even have a fun message that appears on the screen too – think outside the box and come up with a fun start to the day.
Whatever you choose to do to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, it s a great idea to enlist the help of a taskforce beforehand. Having a special events team, or whatever else you want to call it, means that you can plan for such events and you can also create a sense of fun in the office. Yes, work has to be done during working hours, but we all know that to get the best out of your office staff, you should allow them to feel valued, and also to create a sense of fun in the office too. Happy employees work much harder and more effectively than employees who are unhappy and unsatisfied in their workplace.
Why not make the spirit of the Emerald Isle a great excuse to instil a sense of fun, celebration, and togetherness in your office?