Beyond the Holiday Party: Creating Meaningful Team Events That Actually Work
Nov 07, 2025The calendar reminder pops up: plan the holiday party. Your stomach drops slightly. Will people actually want to come? Should you do gifts this year? What if last year's event set expectations you can't meet? And seriously, why is team celebration planning so complicated?
Anna and Kendall dive into the surprisingly complex world of team events and celebrations, offering honest reflections on what creates genuine connection versus what creates awkward obligation or unmet expectations.
The conversation opens with holiday party logistics, revealing how even the terminology requires thoughtfulness. Anna explains her approach: "We have to be quite careful in our office because of people's spiritual and religious beliefs. So we can't ever call it anything holiday related at all. So we just call it a group lunch." This consideration extends to all aspects of team events—what seems universal often isn't.
Gift-giving emerges as particularly fraught territory. While both hosts identify as people whose "love language is gifting," they've learned hard lessons about workplace gifts. Anna shares a painful realization: "The gift wasn't always received in the way it was given and also... it created a strange dynamic whereby there was an unspoken expectation, really, or a perceived expectation on the part of the team member." Her solution? She stopped end-of-year gifts altogether, despite it going against her natural inclinations.
The year-end bonus discussion reveals even more complexity. Anna recounts her experience saving money throughout the year for bonuses: "I can't say how many times people never so much as acknowledged receipt of this bonus. And it would, it just made me feel so terrible." The lack of appreciation wasn't because team members were ungrateful—it was because, as Kendall explains, "Our brains really like to create expectations and higher expectations than reality... the person receiving it nine times out of ten are gonna feel like, oh, that's way less than I would have thought."
But it's not all cautionary tales. Both hosts celebrate their annual team retreats as transformative experiences. Kendall describes her spring retreat: "We do a full day outdoors typically. And that is epic... any excuse to just have no technology and be together as a group. It really is pivotal every year in deepening the connections in the team." These required, paid events represent significant investment—closing both clinic locations for a full day—but deliver meaningful returns in team cohesion.
The conversation also addresses how team needs evolve. Kendall notes a generational shift: "We actually have a whole cohort of young people on our team right now, so 20s, early 30s. And they are asking for more social events to be planned and it's kind of a first." Rather than planning these herself, she's empowering team members to organize social gatherings, recognizing that "they don't want to be hanging out with the boss. They want to be hanging out with each other."
Even birthday celebrations require thoughtfulness. Anna shares a crucial addition to their team's "favorite things" list: asking whether people actually want their birthday celebrated. "It's amazing how many people don't," she notes—a trauma-informed approach that respects individual preferences.
Throughout the episode, both hosts emphasize that there's no one-size-fits-all approach. What worked last year might not work this year. What one team member loves might make another uncomfortable. The key is gathering feedback, staying flexible, and remembering that genuine connection matters more than elaborate events.
If you've ever felt stressed about planning team gatherings or wondered if your efforts are actually appreciated, this episode offers both validation and practical guidance for creating celebrations that truly serve your team.
For information regarding the upcoming retreat, go to: https://www.wellnesscentercreators.com/retreats
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About Anna Rudel
Anna Rudel, L. Ac is the owner and founder of Lokahi Acupuncture Clinic in San Jose California, founded in 2003. Anna is a master organizer and clinician, and as a Coach she specializes in working with Clinic Owners in the state of California, and Acupuncturists and Acupuncture Clinic Owners, or groups wanting to add Acupuncture worldwide, as well as teams that need support with employee retention and satisfaction. Born in the UK, Anna has traveled extensively in Asia and now has a thriving multi-practitioner clinic in the US!
Anna's Website and Links
- Website: https://lokahiacupuncture.com/
- Learn Group Coaching: https://www.wellnesscentercreators.com/group-coaching
- For info about Individual Coaching: https://www.wellnesscentercreators.com/individual-coaching
About Kendall Hagensen
Kendall is a Somatic Mental Health Therapist, Multidisciplinary Clinic Owner and Business Coach. She specializes in, and is passionate about, working with healthcare professionals to create the businesses of their dreams. Big goals always have a psychological component beneath the surface, so Kendall uses her background in Somatic Psychotherapy and EMDR Therapy mixed with Business Coaching tools to help clients develop a healthy relationship with their business and their strength as a leader.
As someone who lives with a chronic illness herself, Kendall feels that health happens best within community, which is why she takes a holistic, integrative, and collaborative wellness approach to her personal and professional life.
Kendall’s Web/Social Links