How to Create a Positive Year-End Celebration While Cultivating a Supportive Work Culture

As the year draws to a close, organizations are encouraged to recognize and celebrate their staff’s achievements while acknowledging the challenges they have faced. In an Associations Now article, Jaya Koilpillai Bohlmann, president and founder of Designing Communication and a career coach, emphasizes the importance of employees knowing that their work is making a meaningful impact. Bohlmann suggests tying individual accomplishments to broader organizational goals, providing context beyond simple achievements like newsletter revamps or membership increases.

Amidst the slowdown typical of the year-end holiday season, it’s crucial to address the collective stress and anxiety that may have accumulated over the year. Bohlmann stresses the significance of employee engagement, which she notes tends to suffer universally across various work environments. To foster a positive work culture, Bohlmann recommends bringing all staff together, including remote workers, for a year-end celebration. This, she believes, sends a positive message about the organization’s investment in its people and their engagement.

Cynthia Mills, president and CEO of Leaders’ Haven and a career coach, highlights the challenges faced by organizations as they adapt to post-COVID changes in organizational structures and job vacancies. She notes the prevailing sentiment among workers wishing for a return to normalcy in the coming year. Acknowledging the hard work and potential burnout of staff becomes particularly essential in this context.

Mills underscores the importance of addressing “reasonableness and capacity” consistently in the upcoming year, providing reassurance to employees that challenges will be met with understanding. Celebrating accomplishments is seen as more meaningful when it occurs in an environment of reasonable expectations.

Looking beyond year-end celebrations, Bohlmann encourages organizations to integrate regular, smaller celebrations into their culture throughout the year. Monthly or quarterly gatherings, casual get-togethers, or acknowledgments in internal newsletters can all contribute to building a positive and appreciative work environment.