One of the realities of the hybrid work model is that this is one of the rare occasions for everyone to be together.

Let’s start with what I’d like to call the “mindset” tip:

Celebrate what you have in common rather than worrying about offending people.

What values would you like to see emphasized?

What impression about your company would you like your co-workers to leave with?

Here are some tips:

1. Make it inclusive. Put an emphasis on the fact that everyone is encouraged to attend. It’s too easy for someone to feel like they won’t be missed if they skip it.
2. Provide a variety of activities to suit different personalities. Karaoke is fun but don’t put all your engagement eggs in one basket! Give people the tools to mingle and get to know each other. Here is a cool ice-breaker we recently created.
3. Make it purposeful and watch your attendance and participant engagement skyrocket! Social Giveback challenges are a springboard to a successful event. Here are a few ideas to engage your team while giving back to the community.
4. Consider the growing request of mocktails and zero alcohol beverages. The days of “let’s open a tab and get drunk!” are not as cool as some may think.
5. Try to keep it within business hours. A dinner is fine but, if possible, start the engagement process earlier and have it lead up to a dinner.

YES, VIRTUAL is still a thing! If you are part of a distributed team, here are some fun and engaging choices.

For those who are still looking for ideas, we have a few highly engaging ideas to share with you. Schedule a 15-minuite meeting today!

Closing Insights:

1. Every touch point you have with your colleagues is an opportunity to build a stronger team.
2. When corporate events are done well, they encourage employee engagement while emphasizing corporate values and a shared purpose. With that formula, team building happens organically.
3. Diversity is one of the strongest attributes of successful teams. We must practice patience, understanding, tolerance, and compassion every day, not just during the holidays.

Read the original article on LinkedIn here.