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3 Reasons Why You Should Let Young Employees Organize Year-End Parties: A Look at the Business Skills They Gain from Planning These Events
Published: December 2, 2024, 5:50 AM
Nobuhiro Yokoyama
Chairman and CEO, Attax Sales Associates
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Organizing year-end and New Year’s parties at work is often seen as a hassle, but could it actually be a chance to develop business skills? (Photo: RichR / PIXTA)
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a noticeable trend of “young people turning away from drinking parties.” In a previous article titled “Three Reasons Why ‘Drinking Communication’ Is Unpopular Among Young People,” I outlined the reasons as: (1) poor cost-effectiveness and time efficiency, (2) declining engagement, and (3) a desire to separate work and personal life.
Now that it’s December, the season for year-end and New Year’s parties is upon us. With that in mind, I’d like to propose that companies entrust young employees with the role of “organizer” for these events. As a consultant who works on-site to provide support, I have come to keenly realize the importance of “organizational skills.”
Organizing a drinking party is packed with elements essential for young people to grow as business professionals. In this article, I’ll explain three reasons why young employees should be entrusted with this role. I hope not only executives and managers—their superiors—but also young employees themselves will read this.
First of all, what exactly is “organizational skills”?
During an interview for a magazine,
I was once asked,
“Is it really necessary to go out of your way to learn organizational skills?”
I answered “Yes” immediately. That’s because I myself was never taught organizational skills by anyone and struggled greatly as a result.
“Organizational skills” refer to the ability to prepare and coordinate so that work proceeds efficiently. It’s not just about preparation. Arranging and coordinating resource allocation are crucial aspects of planning. It’s a skill that requires more intuition and attention to detail than you might expect. Even if you understand the concept intellectually, it won’t be honed without hands-on experience.
For example, suppose you’re tasked with creating a proposal. You need to identify the necessary steps—such as gathering data, drafting the proposal, coordinating with team members, and getting approval from your supervisor—and proceed by prioritizing them. If you can’t do this, you’ll likely be told that your “planning is poor.”
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So, what are the benefits of improving your organizational skills by serving as an organizer? I believe there are three main ones.
(1) You’ll learn the basics of project management
(2) You’ll gain practical experience in resource coordination
(3) You’ll hone your ability to estimate the time required for tasks
Let’s go over each one in detail.
Three Benefits of Organizing a Year-End Party
(1) You’ll Master the Basics of Project Management
First, improving your organizational skills helps you master the basics of project management. This is no exaggeration.
For example, to manage things efficiently, it’s important to first understand the difference between a project and a task. A project is a collection of tasks, and a task is the smallest unit of work. Organizing a year-end party is an ideal opportunity to learn these fundamentals.
By organizing tasks into a hierarchical structure—large projects (hosting the year-end party), medium projects (scheduling, budget decisions, venue selection, etc.), and small projects (recruiting participants, making reservations, seating arrangements, etc.)—you can clearly identify what needs to be done.
While the procedures for handling individual tasks cannot be changed, when working at the project level, you can—and must—flexibly adjust priorities as needed.
“We especially want to show our appreciation to female employees who are busy with childcare on a daily basis,” said the organizer.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
