Working within a remote team means you and your colleagues work all on your own in multiple states and varying time zones across the world. While working at a virtual office and heading to a coworking space gives you the chance to have a better work-life balance and avoid the hassle of commute and traffic jams, one of the biggest difficulties you may encounter is the limited opportunities to connect with each other.
“Gathering by the water cooler” and conducting phone calls and meetings can help you remember that there are real people on the other side of emails. This holiday season, one of the best ways to strengthen your bond and build a more harmonious relationship with your co-workers is to throw a virtual holiday party. Here are some sure-fire ways to make your remote holiday party successful:
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Play virtual games
Bring out your team’s competitive side by hosting fun virtual games. This is a great way to get everyone involved, make them feel more comfortable with each other, and give them a chance to relax and have fun. Some games you can play are holiday bingo, guess the holiday song from the lyrics, charades, and other holiday-related activities.
You can also hold a virtual holiday photo booth and use programs such as Zoom to coordinate your remote teams group easier. To maximize the fun, use cute and funny props, like Santa hats, colored lights, angel wings, gifts, hats, garland, reindeer antlers, and more. Afterward, turn your photo into a virtual card and make it a memento of your party.
To set the mood, don’t forget to create a holiday playlist with all your favorite holiday songs. After all, in the background of every successful party is an awesome playlist!
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Send a holiday gift box
Sending gift boxes to one another can help build camaraderie and let you show that your company cares for its employees. Share some warmth, love, and joy with your team members by bringing them a box of goodies before the virtual party. Some items you can add to the box are a hot cocoa mix, a mug, chocolates and other tasty snacks, gift cards, and photo props for your virtual photo booth shoot. You can also customize each box according to your employees’ interests.
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Stir up the conversation
The virtual holiday party gives you the perfect opportunity to know one another a little bit better. Stir up the conversation and ask some questions to your team members, such as their favorite holiday tradition, favorite holiday gift they ever received, ideal holiday vacation, New Years’ resolution, and more.
Another way you can get one another better is to play the “Most Likely To…” game. All you need to do is to ask your co-workers to consider which of them is most likely to act in specific ways. For example, ask them to decide who is most likely to choose the perfect gift, cry while watching a holiday movie, spend a fortune on holiday decorations, and cook the most delightful holiday feast.
Conclusion
Although challenging, working remotely can still allow you and your team to build a strong relationship and get into the holiday spirit, just like other office teams. There are lots of ways to stay connected and share the holiday joy with one another. By following the tips listed in this guide, you can establish a connection as if you were working in a physical office together.
Meanwhile, you can join our shared office in Charlotte to meet like-minded professionals and belong to a community of success-driven companies. Schedule a tour today!