The Olympics come every other year and we happen to be right in the middle of the Sochi Winter Games. They last a little over 2 weeks, and this is a great time to have your office come together and support our nation. However, once the games are over, you can still continue to show your team spirit for your own team: your workplace. Here are some great ways to bring the office together and bond over our nation, rivalries, the spirit of sport and all the hard work that goes into succeeding.
- Support your nation day– Have your employees dress up in Red, White and Blue to show their USA pride. This goes a long way, as a big part of the Olympics is the pride you take in putting on your nation’s colors and representing all the people back home. But, take it one step further and set up a time for your entire office to dress in branded apparel to strengthen your own team. Maybe it’s a Casual Friday where everyone wears matching polos. Or maybe every Monday the entire staff wears their logoed shirts. This will make each employee feel like part of a team and will help to show their pride throughout the day.
- Viewing Party- With the time difference being so big this year, allow employees to watch some of the big events while at work. Maybe set up your conference room to view an early morning hockey game or have highlights playing in the break room. To take it a step further, maybe form an office softball league or a group bowling night. Let the competitive nature of the Games carry over into some good-natured office competition.
- Celebrate USA Gold- Designate a day to have a party and celebrate a USA gold. Let employees bring in food and drink to enjoy during an extended lunch. Whether they want to have a theme and go with red, white and blue food or if they just want a variety of options, the camaraderie will help bond your teammates together. To take it one step further, maybe have a pot luck lunch once a month where everyone can spend a little more time getting to know one another to build the corporate culture.
- Closing Ceremony- The games will come to an end on Sunday and we will have another 2 years to wait before we celebrate again. On Friday afternoon, take a few minutes to bring everyone in the office together. Let them discuss their top highlights of the games and what they will miss the most. One step further, create your own Office Olympics for an exercise in Team Building. It gets everyone up and moving, and teaches each of your employees that working together will bring the most success to your company.
Team USA