Christmas, a time to party, reflect and say thank you

Christmas is a time for family, festivities and communities coming together. It is also a great time for reflection and thanks to the teams that support us. 

Unfairly the office Christmas party has gained a reputation for misuse of the photocopier and dalliances that will later be regretted. We had the IDG Christmas party this week and I’m afraid I have no salacious stories of my team’s late night activities with a Ricoh product. The night was though a great opportunity to say thank you to the many people that make CIO happen day in day out. 

A Christmas party is a great opportunity to tackle those alignment issues that analysts claim the CIO world suffers. For those shy but brilliant IT people in your team it is a chance to encourage them to get out there and mix, meet colleagues beyond technology and show their human side. 

Daily life is so busy for all of us, especially if there is a leadership element to your role,  fail at times to stop and say thank you or ask how the year has been. So the Christmas party is a wonderful opportunity to just have a chat. 

For me, it’s a chance to thank not only my excellent editorial team, but also the online development lads, events coordinators, marketing, designers, project managers and even the support of journalists and editors from other titles in the IDG stable whose support and professionalism keeps our standards high. 

I always think a good Christmas party also reflects well on the chemistry and team dynamics of the organisation. At IDG and CIO we always have a damn good celebration and the good will carries over into the varied projects we always have in flight. 

There is nothing more enjoyable than being part of, or observing great team dynamics in place. Just yesterday I went to my eldest daughter’s school carol concert and was swept away not only by that doting father emotion you get at this time of year, but also the chemistry amongst the teachers and pupils as they all worked together as a team to bang out an amazing product. I enjoyed observing this as much as I did the excellent performances by all involved. 

In a previous life I was a motorsports reporter. I have no interest in cars, but motorsports is a truly team sport. The driver may get all the attention, but having reported from the pit lane of the Le Mans 24 Hour and F1 Grand Prix, I can tell you that same team ethos and human endeavour is a pleasure to observe.

I know from the many CIO interviews I carry out that CIOs are team oriented people who never miss an opportunity to praise their teams to us. We also know that CIOs know how to relax despite the pressures of the role and the economy at present, so we hope you have a great party and the team atmosphere lifts everyone’s spirits.