It's December (man, that was quick) and the holiday season is in full swing with Black Friday and Cyber Monday now only a memory. More important than special sales and deep discounts, December is a time for families of all types to come together in celebration of the traditions that keeps us together (good times and the bad). Likewise, you and your employees form another sort of family that has its own set of traditions that you can choose to celebrate on a weekly basis (company luncheons) or yearly (holiday parties).



Keeping these traditions alive within your company is one of the most effective ways to boost morale and improve a team building atmosphere in which your employees are motivated to succeed. After all, a productive team is the lifeblood of any business but even moreso in a small business. Setting aside designated occasions for celebration throughout the year provides employees something they can look forward to as a reward for their hard work, especially during the holidays.

Traditions can take the form of a nice Christmas dinner, casual lunch, or even wearing a certain color for a make-believe holiday (Purple Shirt Thursdays). Additional ideas might include volunteering at a local charity event or soup kitchen, hosting a Halloween costume contest, Free Doughnut Fridays, canned food drive, pot luck luncheon, holding a themed office-decorating contest and so on. You'll be surprised to discover just how much your employees will appreciate the traditions you create and even happier to see what an impact a positive workplace will have on productivity.

So what're you waiting for? Go forth and party down!