You have spent two, three, four or even five months planning your biiiiig year-end dinner and dance, with the care and passion you bring to your work every day. You battle with 4,000 suppliers over the venue or garden and the food, and fight with management to authorize “good” gifts rather than the same little diaries, mugs and organizers as always, because you recognize how necessary this is for all your employees. You sit down to negotiate with every department to find the ideal date. And the budget? A genuine crusade to stretch every peso and cent as though they were euros. You really prepare this event as though it were your family's Christmas dinner—which, in fact, it is: the Christmas dinner of an enormous family, isn't it?
The day arrives, and damn it! The frustration when people do not appreciate all the effort and everyone you had to mobilize for that day: “The food was cold,” “They only gave me one beer,” “WOW! I win yet another mug—well, thanks.” In the worst case, everything is set up for 300 people and only 100 arrive, or they come late, or are not properly dressed. And what about “I will eat, wait for the raffle, and if I win nothing, I am leaving” ?
We understand the exhaustion, frustration, disappointment and anger when employees fail to see the dedication, passion and effort you and your team put into making it happen. Worst of all, HR always gets the blame. Yes, this is the annual ordeal.
We understand—consider this a big hug. The reality is that employees see it as just another day or activity because they feel no sense of belonging and it is the same every year. They have lost the excitement most of us felt before our first company year-end dinner: What will it be like? Will it be fun? Will I win anything? Will it be moving? Will there be dancing?
This is extremely common in industry. Staff get used to it and stop seeing it as a “benefit,” perceiving it as an employer–employee obligation, almost like having IMSS coverage. You also have countless outstanding tasks, and year-end is chaotic with audits, accounting closes, head counts, etc. As a result, you repeat the formula that worked once, again and again and again.
Well, guess what? At JST&C, we understand this problem and help our clients and friends with it every year. What does it depend on? Your decision to do things differently and have the courage to reinvent and transform this year-end celebration.
What We Do
- It is not just bringing people together and moving a crowd. It means generating synergy, teamwork and empathy, and making people love their company, their home. We work on integration, emotions and human beings.
- If required, we can also help organize the entire event and create its theme and setting. We develop unique concepts and a different atmosphere: travel back to the 20s, visit glamorous New York, head to the beach or become superheroes—“Because we can be heroes, just one day.” We can bring in an up-and-coming comedian or a full-fledged rock star. We bring the band, merengue, cha-cha-cha and reggaeton—at your own risk.
- A raffle?… Well, do not run the raffle as usual, with a master of ceremonies and that’s it. Let’s make it different and creative, get people wildly excited and desperate to participate, and well… let them enjoy a delicious dinner afterward.
The point is to challenge assumptions, remove stereotypes and leave hierarchies and the same old routine behind for a few hours. Make this an event employees look forward to again: a great celebration of Christmas and year’s end. If we cannot create that disruption now, when?
That is why the same problems recur throughout the year, with employees who are demotivated, not empowered and without a sense of belonging. Pay attention!
Rock´n roll people!!!
