Ah yes, Valentine’s Day, the day of love. For some, the best day of the year. For others, a day they feel is unnecessary. No matter which category of people you belong to, there is no reason not to use the day as an excuse to show your colleagues that you care.
Sure, the days are getting longer and spring is around the corner, but it is still dark and cold outside. So what can you do to make Valentine’s Day special in your office? Here are some tips that, regardless of whether you hate it or love it, might work to make your day a happy one anyway!
1. Send Everyone a Personalized Card
Corny, but classic. A card is easily posted in the mail or left on someone’s desk. So, why not send all of your team members a personalized card with a compliment on it? Something that you appreciate about them. Everyone likes to hear a compliment every now and again so use Valentine’s Day to do it. Even people who do not like the day might feel better knowing that you appreciate and notice their hard work and dedication to your organization.
2. Have a Valentine’s Lunch
So, everyone is working on Valentine’s Day. Some people anxious to go on their scheduled date, others hoping they can forget it is 14 February and get on with their lives. What if, instead, you organize a lovely lunch together. It allows for communication, sharing, laughter, relaxation, etc. Everything your team needs every once in a while. You can make it engaging by asking everyone to bring a homemade dish, or organize a caterer to deliver lunch to the office. Either way, you will be able to have lunch together.
3. Decorate the Office
Who says Valentine’s decorations are too much? You could choose to decorate your office regardless. Doesn’t it look empty now that all the Christmas decorations have been gone for a month? So go for it! Get creative while you are at it. There is no rule that you should only use hearts to decorate, a red or pink garland banner goes a long way to spruce up those white walls.
4. Share the Positivity
Romance is not something you are looking to bring to a professional environment, but that doesn’t mean you cannot embrace the (usually!) positive emotions associated with romance, right? So instead, focus on sharing that positivity. You can do this throughout the day by asking people what they are enjoying today, or asking them what they like about their jobs. Another idea, making it more engaging, is to leave sticky notes with a pen in the coffee room and invite people to write down a positive comment about an experience they had that day. This can be anything; like a positive email they read or sent, a compliment they want to give colleagues, a quick uplifting message they want to share, an element of their job that they like, etc. So get creative! Make sure to leave a large space on the wall for people to stick the notes when they finish writing. That way, you can read it while being inspired to write one themselves to add to the collection.
Just remember…
There is no rule against wishing each other a Happy Valentine’s day at the office, you just want to make sure to keep it professional.
