Hello friends,
Greetings from Barcelona ☀️And a very special welcome to Small Bets friends joining the Quest this week. 🙌
Thinking it’s too late to design a memorable virtual holiday celebration for your remote team, your virtual class, or your online community?
Think again.🚀
Your mind may be racing with ideas to create a memorable end-of-year. But you don’t want it to be forced or awkward.
The problem is that while are trying to decide what to do, time continues to march on.⏳
Here’s the twist. It’s not too late. Not by a long shot. 🎉
There is still time to bring a little holiday joy to your remote team, online class, or project collaborators.
Don’t miss this golden opportunity to wrap up the year on a high note.
How can you create a memorable virtual holiday celebration (quickly)?
That’s our Quest for this week:
👉Insights from “Rituals for Virtual Meetings”
👉A no-fuss guide to designing your virtual celebration
👉The secrets to designing a memorable virtual family holiday party
Let’s jump right in.
📘 Insights from Rituals for Virtual Meetings
I dusted this book off my bookshelf for some inspiration for designing virtual celebrations.
It’s written and illustrated by Standford d.School profs Kürsat Özenç and Glen Fajardo.
And it’s one of the best books I’ve read about why virtual rituals are important and how to create them.
Here are my biggest 3 takeaways:
✨ The power of rituals comes from flipping mundane moments into special ones. Unlike routines, rituals are conscious and intentional.
🤝Rituals can connect group members mentally and emotionally. If we don’t for these relational connections it’s more difficult to get things done as a group
🔥Rituals can energize people with emotional and mental payoff moments. This energy can physically recharge, emotionally connect, mentally satisfy, and spiritually align people with their purpose.
Their advice on how to get started?
Start small.
Add something at the beginning of your meeting (like a check-in) and at the end (a check-out) and build from there.
🙅 A no-fuss guide to designing your virtual celebration
Crafting a memorable virtual holiday celebration doesn’t have to be complicated. Or feel awkward.
Success 100% comes down to adapting the celebration to your audience and purpose.
Here are 8 essential elements to help you design an engaging and heartfelt celebration for your virtual groups with ease.
1/ 🎵Music. Kick things off with a song that connects to the theme of celebration. Ask your group for their favorite celebration songs and make a playlist.
2/ ✨Warm-Up: Start with a light, fun activity. Think virtual holiday trivia or a quick ‘show-and-tell’ of favorite holiday items. This eases everyone into the party mood.
3/ 🤝Connect in small groups: Use breakout rooms for more personalized interactions, perhaps themed discussions or fun challenges.
4/ 🌟Share in the big group: Reconvene as a large group to share experiences from the breakouts. This builds a sense of community and shared experience.
5/ 🙌Celebrate Achievements: Reflect on the year’s triumphs and memorable moments. A slideshow or a few heartfelt stories can do wonders.
6/ 👀Look Ahead: Invite team members to share their aspirations for the coming year. It’s about setting a positive tone for the future.
7/ 🥂Raise a toast: Raise a glass (virtual or real!) to celebrate your team’s resilience and camaraderie. This symbolic gesture unites everyone in a moment of gratitude.
8/ 📸Take a Group Photo: Don’t forget a screenshot! It’s the perfect keepsake for your virtual celebration.
What elements would you add to your virtual celebration?
🌟 A blueprint for designing a memorable virtual family holiday party
One of our family’s rituals is the Wansbrough Family Christmas Party started in 1940 by my Grannie.
Grannie is no longer with us. But she would be very happy to know that her Christmas party is now in its 83rd year. Including two Zoom editions.
We almost skipped this year’s virtual event. Until my 90-year-old aunt nudged me, asking, “Gwyn, are you going to do that Zoom thing again?” 😅How can you say no to that?
So yesterday my dad got down to business and designed the 3rd Zoom edition of the family party. Yes, using the Breakthrough Arc Framework:)
Want a peek at our plan? Hopefully, you’ll find some ideas to inspire your virtual family celebration.
Check out our party outline on Google Docs 👉 here.
(P.S. I’ve added notes in the margins to give you insights into the purpose behind each part of the celebration).
I’m curious. what unique touch would make your family’s virtual celebration extra special?
💌 Thanks for reading The Quest
I always love hearing your feedback and suggestions. Just hit reply to share your thoughts and ideas.
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Creatively yours,
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