Company Owners: Do You Have Regular Gatherings, Dinners, etc. with your Employers?
 

We find it important to have more than just online connections with customers and staff, employees and contractors, etc... so we regularly have gatherings and parties involving only just those peeps, no un-involved folk if you know what I mean.

It keeps our network and relations "real" and so on, better than if we always and only transacted on a business level...

How about you guys? Do you do it? Do you know why, or is it just "tradition" and so on?

:D

For employees we have a company wide lunch or cookout at the office every other week and probably about 10 out of office cocktail hours or parties throughout the year to celebrate milestones, major project launches and other events.

For partners and other companies that we work with we host one major party every summer on our anniversary to celebrate and show appreciation for our "family" and friends.

I can't say that we get a whole of face time with our customers since in our case they are online surfers. That might be a little scary.

It's extremely important that you keep a "hand on" relationship with those you are involved in business with. Not just paper mail like invoices. You are doing it right. It puts that personal touch.

People tend to gravitate towards people that appreciate them. The smallest things you do make people happy. And it keeps them coming back.

If I can buy a soda here for a dollar and they guy is a cock, but I buy the one for a dollar twenty five and I sit down, shoot the shit, talk about bitches WITH the guy that sold it to me?... and then guess what?

I'm out of fucking soda? Im loving it for that moment.

Where did the Coke go? "I'll take another..."

Good business... :winkwink:

i read "hard on" first

Yes and we have a great time too.

Lunches, Happy Hours, Birthdays , Christmas Holiday and an Annual Team Trip :)

One year we went on a snow hike in San Jacincto Mtns and This year we went deep sea fishing.

The few times I had a job I really enjoyed and appreciated when we had these kinds of gatherings. However, when I ran my contracting company before, I bought everyone lunch one day at Christmas. We always took an hour lunch everyday off the clock. This one time I decided to buy, everybody had something to gripe about. A few complained wanting the hour to be paid, some complained about the restaurant we ate at. Not one said thank you, so I said the hell with it I'll never do it again.

We have a nice little family vibe at my place that we encourage w/ "family dinners" and other semi-regular low-key activities. I also have ppl coming in this weekend (on time off) to decorate our office tree and hang out.

Very true. We take the same approach with webcam girls - using an analogy of mine:

Suppose every day you walk trhough a mall hallway to get to the Metro (subway in Montreal) and you have two competing coffee shops, one on either side.

One shop has great coffee, the other good coffee. The great coffee is actually cheaper than the good coffee because it's a major chain brand, but the counter girl (person) at the more expensive place is pleasant, remembers what you like, and throws in some personal convo while you're paying and waiting for the brew.

The other side, maybe cheaper maybe better, has a dick/cunt at the cash... where you gonna go for that java next time?

KnowwhatImean?

:D

And that's how I met your mother.

I know exactly what you mean. :thumbsup

That attitude shines through. :2 cents:

Funny to see a thread like this today.
We have one today :1orglaugh

We've been doing something a few times per year for the last couple of years.
My goal next year is to have people in our europe office meet people in our US office face to face, thats going to be a bit of a challenge.

Anyone got tips on how to increase productivity between 2 different locations ?

Secret Santa with an essay after the fact via email! What do they like? Dislike about their job? Online Roast of you. Exchange contacts, Facebook each other - hold an impromptu group meeting via dual cams, you come into the room in a clown suit and give everybody $20 Amazon gift cards out of appreciation (people like that shit, as cheap as it is - it shows effort)- the possibilities are endless

People love to feel important so even if it's something simple it goes a long way.

I get lunch for my guys pretty regularly and usually from places they might deem as too expensive for them.

Cash bonus for doing a good job > awkward outings on company amex :2 cents:

i take myself out for lunch at least twice a week ...

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:thumbsup

im about to do that now!

ftw :thumbsup

Use our miricam networking video feature - this is a demo but perfectly usable, you just can't brand it - http://www.2much.net/miricam/index.php

You'll have to work at timezones for the appointment though :P

:D

We don't do it as much as we should but with customers and especially with the rest of the Elevated X guys we always have a great time when we do get together. Doing more of this is a good New Year's resolution for me in 2013!

Hey thanks guys - post here/let me know if I can quote some of this for an article, and give me the URL you want me to promote....

Danke!

:D

A week long trip with employees and significant others after the Christmas holiday.

Regular events throughout the year.

Morale is high and everybody is friends.

Not everywhere. Many companies yes, but if you have the right vibe going on, then no.

A good example of trips is HARPO.

I have a friend that works there and every year Oprah takes all 400ish employees and a guest on a 7 to 10 day luxury vacation where no expense is spared.

She charters two huge jets for everyone. Most recent one was a Mediterranean cruise where she rented a cruise ship. Another was a trip to Hawaii.

It is the thing employees look forward to most each year. She also attends so it's a chance for those that don't interact with her daily to get some quality time with the boss.

For people we work directly with (albeit online) we have an annual Chrismas dinner, along with a few favored clients, at some nice Montreal restaurant, with limo service, free champagne, the works....

There's no immediate, discernable ROI on that kind of thing, all I can say that it's good to press the flesh as it were and talk outside the "biz box" every now and then....

:D

It never ceases to amaze me how people with bitch about free stuff.

I used to work for a large tech company. Once per quarter they had a big meeting to talk about the company/earnings etc. It lasted about an hour and when you went into the meeting room they had chips, sandwiches and soda to drink. This meeting didn't take place during lunchtime so you still got your lunch break and every time it seemed like a lot of the people bitched that they didn't have the right kind of soda (they also had water) or the right kind of sandwich or something. It just amazed me. They could have done nothing.