The World Cup is finally here, which means we’re getting into the swing of a football-filled winter. Here’s how you can make the most of the big event in your office.
Offer flexi-time or show the games in the office
If your office has TV screens, this is the perfect opportunity to bring everyone together, regardless of how into football some people are, to cheer on their team. Another option of course, is to offer flexi-time, which your team will be very grateful for!
Not everyone will be as interested in the earlier games in the tournament, so maybe save the excitement for later in the tournament when things get more tense. Even the least interested football fans are likely to get excited at that stage and want to take part.
Wear your team shirt to office day
Perhaps it’s the day of a big game or perhaps you want to end the week with a light-hearted Friday dress-down theme. Either way, encouraging your colleagues to wear their team’s shirt will help boost morale across the office. Simply choose your football shirt and consider jazzing it up with additional accessories, from face paint to hats and even funky football earrings!
Why not turn it into a charitable event? Anyone who wants to dress up can bring a donation for a good cause. There are lots of additional ways to fundraise in the office, so why not go all out?
Create the right type of atmosphere for those who want to watch the game and those who would rather not watch it (not everyone enjoys football!)
Inclusivity is key in an office environment all-year-round, so when the World Cup rolls around, it’s worth remembering that not everyone will be as excited as others. Reminding your team that not everyone will be keen to be as involved is important to ensure that no one gets left out.
Remember to try and involve everyone in conversations, while keeping the football-specific lingo to a minimum in group conversations. Given the controversies surrounding the human rights situation in Qatar, it is especially important to make sure that marginalised groups feel involved too. Sending out a companywide acknowledgement of this will help create the right kind of atmosphere.
Look into running a sweepstake
People don’t necessarily have to part with their cash when it comes to sweepstakes. They can simply pick a World Cup team out of a hat in a bid to win a prize from the company. That’s a sure-fire way to get even the least enthusiastic football fans onboard!
Make sure the prize is something that will appeal to everyone to drum up as much support as possible – you might go for a voucher or something a little more extravagant such as the chance to do a fun activity. There are plenty of online sweepstake generators if your team are working remotely.