We spend a lot of time in the workplace, which is why having a good relationship with our colleagues is essential for our health and wellbeing. Social events are a great way to get to know your co-workers and build lasting friendships whilst having fun and letting off steam. And a social committee is a great way to incorporate a fun-filled events calendar into the workplace!
Benefits Of Building A Social Committee
Creating a social committee has a range of benefits for your colleagues, managers and the company as a whole. It is a great first step in creating a positive workplace culture.
For Colleagues
A social committee encourages your colleagues to have fun and helps them achieve a good work-life balance. For full-time employees who spend 40+ hours a week in the workplace, having a colleague that’s also a friend can positively impact their physical and mental health and wellbeing. Having organised social events will give your colleagues something fun to look forward to and help them relieve workplace stress.
For The Company As A Whole
If social events become a part of the company’s culture, your managers will notice a number of positive changes. For example, there will be increased productivity and creativity amongst employees. Employees from various departments will know each other well and be able to work together better. There will be an increase in employee engagement and fewer absences. Also, employees who are happy in the workplace are more likely to stay loyal to the brand.
Top Tips For Creating A Social Committee With Colleagues
If you think your workplace could benefit from a social committee, it’s time to get planning! Here are our top tips for success:
Get The OK From Management
Before your social committee can become anything more than a bright idea, you need to discuss it with your manager. Request a meeting with your Manager and pitch your idea to them. Once you have support from management, you can get your committee up and running. Also, it’s a good idea to invite a member of management to become a committee member (just make sure they don’t take over!).
Partner Up
Starting a social committee on your own can be a pretty big task. Instead, chat with your colleagues and see if anyone fancies helping you out. It will be easier to stir up interest and get the ball rolling if you have a helping hand.
Build A Good Team
The quickest way to let your colleagues know about your social committee is by sending out a company-wide email. Keep it short and sweet and ask if anybody would be interested in helping out. Also, mention it to your colleagues during your lunch breaks. This should drum up some interest and you’ll soon have a few volunteers.
Then, meet with each volunteer individually, even if it’s just for a quick coffee during your lunch hour. This gives you the opportunity to ask them why they want to join the committee and figure out which position they could fill. Social committees usually have various positions including Chairperson/President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Specific Event Planner and numerous ordinary committee members.
Have A Fun First Meeting
The first meeting gives everyone a chance to get to know each other a little better and lays the foundations for the future of the committee. So, make sure you have a meeting agenda prepared and always remember to take notes.
The first meeting should cover important items such as filling the job positions, establishing the goal of the social committee and deciding on a name. For some companies, a “social committee” is just a tad too formal. Instead, they prefer to opt for something a little more informal, such as the ‘Fun Squad’ or ‘Party Ninjas’ etc.
This meeting will set the tone for the many meetings that will follow, so keep it fun! Perhaps have the meeting over pizza during Friday’s lunch hour, or if it’s sunny, suggest a walking meeting.
Check The Budget
Before you get people’s hopes up with suggestions of glamorous parties and fun-filled activity days, you need to double-check the budget. Once the social committee understands the resources they’ve got to work with, they can set about brainstorming ideas that aren’t going to break the bank.
Find Out What Colleagues Want
There’s no doubt the team will come up with tons of ideas for social events and team-building activities. However, it’s also a good idea to get feedback from the rest of your colleagues. Simply send out a quick survey or head round the office with a suggestions box and encourage people to add their suggestions to it. Once you have ideas and suggestions from your colleagues, the social committee can set about turning some of them into a reality.
Start Small & Keep It On The Clock
In the beginning, try to keep everything within work hours. From the committee meetings to the social events themselves, keep them on the clock. Your events and activities will be more successful if people don’t have to take time out of their personal life to enjoy them.
Also, when it comes to your first social events, try to keep them on the small side. For example, hosting an Around the World Potluck Lunch one afternoon is a great idea. This gives the social committee the opportunity to identify any problems and iron them out before planning something bigger.
Get In Touch
If you’d like to find out more about creating a social committee with your colleagues, improving workplace relationships or achieving workplace wellness, get in touch with Wellspace. Here at Wellspace, we are experts in workplace wellness. We are aiming to revolutionise workplace wellness with our leading app, online portal and tailored wellbeing training.
