November 20, 2013

How to Run a Christmas Cubicle Decorating Contest

Stepping into a festive office makes the fact that you have to work during December a lot more enticing. However, it’s unlikely that any one person in the office has the time to decorate the whole space. Plan a Christmas cubicle decorating contest and let everyone do their own part to create a fun and festive office for the holidays.

1. Set the ground rules: The office is still a workplace, so you probably don’t want employees blaring Christmas carols around the clock as part of their decorations or creating an array of talking Santas. You may also want to set space limitations, particularly to maintain a safe work environment. For example, inflatable reindeer filling the space between cubicles may be a fire code violation. If you have any other restrictions, put them in writing beforehand so participants don’t plan decorations that won’t be allowed.

2. Promote the contest: Announce the contest to employees through a variety of channels to ensure everyone knows about it. Mention the contest at the office meeting and post signs in the lobby, elevator, and break room. In addition, promote it online by sending an email and posting about it through your social media channels. All of your announcements should include the rules of the contest and the deadline when participants need to complete their decorations for judging.

3. Provide basic materials: Not all employees will be willing to spend their money to participate, so if you want fuller participation, offer basic materials everyone can use. These may include red and green streamers, tinsel, and plenty of white card stock to cut into snowflakes. Another idea is to set up a donation center where participants can leave extra decorations for others to take and use.

4. Judge and present awards: You can’t have a contest without issuing awards, so plan how you’re going to determine who wins. One idea is to take the whole office on a cubicle tour one day and have all the employees vote afterwards on their favorite. Alternately, you could assemble a panel of judges from the management. Whatever your method, make sure to have a snazzy winner certificate. You can present one grand winner or create several unique awards, like “Most Creative,” “Most Colorful,” “Best Christmas Theme,” etc. In addition to your certificates, you could also offer a perk like going home a few hours early before the Christmas holiday!

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