Written by Virgilia Jansen-Preilowski

The year 2020 has been a quite challenging one for most of us. We had to become creative and flexible to create new solutions for our daily work. Some of us also had to develop new business ideas to adapt to the new lockdown situation. 

For me, as a Work- & Organizational Psychologist, it was fascinating to see how different people dealt with this situation. I could observe people being in different phases of the Kübler-Ross Change Curve: Some people were in shock, some tried to deny the situation – just “waited” and did not want to change anything until the Pandemic is over (and there are a few who are still in denial) & some people adapted very quickly to the new situation and created innovative ideas. Regardless of which phase people were, this year was out of their comfort zone. 

Remote work has been a blessing and a curse at the same time. By that, we were still able to pursue our work safely, but we also had to learn how to work together digitally. The biggest challenge for remote teams still is to have a good balance in staying connected and working efficiently. If you do not proactively get in contact with your colleagues, you will lose them. If you plan too many inefficient meetings, the work will not get done. 

The last months I have interviewed many employees and leaders regarding their experience in working remotely. What I have found is that the most common mistake for remote teams is to spend too less time on creating trustful relationships with each other. Most of the teams only (video) call each other to talk about work-related topics. The effect of this is, that many people miss spontaneous chats e.g. at the coffee machine or having lunch together. 

Personal contact is still in many regions not possible so that many employers start now to cancel their Christmas parties. On the one hand, it is for safety reasons of course better not to plan a face-to-face Christmas party. But on the other hand, in this special time, it is more important than ever to acknowledge your employees’ commitment and agility, as well as spending non-work-related time together. So what possibilities are left?

There are more and more online offers for virtual Christmas. Here are some ideas:

• Virtual baking/cooking night: Providers will send packages with all ingredients to every participant. You meet virtually to bake/ cook together. 
• Wine Tasting
• Of course, you can organize an event on your own. For example: 
  • Sending a parcel with a menu card and ingredients to everyone to cook a dish together
  • Remote secret Santa exchange
  • Planning a night with virtual games
  • Online Escape Room
  • Booking a band for an online concert
• Depending on your regional restrictions and team size there are also outdoor possibilities:
  • Hiking (with some punch) 
  • Geocaching

Even if a virtual Christmas party cannot compete with a personal event it is still a new experience and worth the try. By that you will show your acknowledgement to your employees and the teamwork and atmosphere will be promoted. 

If you need any further support or advice on this topic, please feel free to contact us via oridoc.com. One of our consultants will get in touch with you at lightning speed.