Winter is here and with it comes Christmas and festive fun; however, how can you use the festive period to your advantage? The run up to Christmas is the ideal time for you to let your hair down and show your staff and your colleagues that although you’re responsible and often enforce your role as ‘the boss,' you’re also incredibly fun to be around and you know how to relax and unwind when the time is right.

<strong>What’s The Point in a ‘Softer Side’?</strong>
If you show your employees that you’re not always stern and that they can often speak with you not just as an employee or a colleague, but also as a friend it can make your workforce much more cooperative going forward. By taking the time to get along with your employees in this way it also makes for a nicer working atmosphere and it means that your employees will be happier in the short term and more productive in the long term.

However, it’s not just about your employees enjoying themselves and respecting you – the happier the employees are the better the service will be, which in turn will benefit the company’s reputation. A strong reputation can in turn lead to an increase in demand, which means that those working for the company may eventually receive a bonus for their hard work and dedication.

<strong>Raising Morale By Spreading Christmas Cheer</strong>
The first step that you should take in order to express your softer side is to take the time to raise morale within your workplace and to spread Christmas cheer between your colleagues and within your team.

You can raise the morale within your place of work and end the year on a good vibe or a high note by playing Christmas music throughout the workplace. You could even take this strategy a step further by letting your team know that they’re free to bring in their own Christmas CDs or music if they wish to.

Another way in which you can raise the morale within your workforce is to put up Christmas decorations with other members of your department. Of course this depends upon the environment that you work in, as well as whether or not you have the time to spare.

An understanding manager is a respected manager; this means that if your team wishes to dress down for Christmas, you should embrace this and suggest everyone donates a little for the event for a chosen charity. Also, if all vital work is completed, you can send your employees home early, leaving them with a positive memory of their workplace over the Christmas break.

<strong>Establishing Bonds and Strengthening Friendships</strong>
It’s just as important for you to bond with your employees as it is to raise their morale. If you bond with your employees and show them that you can relax and are genuinely concerned, they are more likely to come to you if they have any issues.

One way for you to establish bonds with your employees and your colleagues is to hold events such as ‘Secret Santa.’ This is where each person will draw the name of a colleague from a hat and will have to buy a surprise gift for that person – it’s a form of gift giving but with the twist of potentially buying for somebody that you do not know very well and they will not be aware that you are purchasing a gift for them.

However, one of the best ways in which you can encourage your employees to bond with you is by increasing the amount of one-to-ones that you have with your staff. By increasing the number of one-to-ones you can determine whether or not there are any issues regarding your workforce and you can deal with any concerns that your employees may have as they arise.

Christmas is a great time to tackle any issues and get everything out in the open. By addressing any concerns and allowing people to get things off their chests (and minds), your workforce should come back in the New Year ready for action.

There are many other ways in which you can show your softer side but the key is to be yourself whilst remembering that you are a manager and even if you’re working to lighten the mood you’re still responsible for your team and their safety.