Fire Up Your Team for a Successful 2023

A new year offers all kinds of opportunities for new ideas and fresh starts. Now that we’ve entered 2023, it’s a great time to think about ways to inspire team members to feel excited about the year ahead.

Last year, many managers and HR heads struggled with ways to boost morale, as more than 46 million Americans left their jobs. So it’s time to shake off negativity and look forward to ways to generate positive feelings of creativity, productivity, and collaboration.

But how do you do that while operating with a distributed workforce model? Your team wants to know that you truly appreciate the time and energy they put into their work, but an all-hands pep talk with PowerPoint® slides just isn’t going to cut it.

Here’s a way to plant the seeds for a positive culture and encourage teambuilding throughout the year: Organize one or more virtual wine experiences.

A Great Kick-Off for 2023

A virtual wine experience during which team members come together through a designated online portal to try different wines accomplishes many HR objectives. Typically, each event is facilitated by a wine sommelier who has a deep knowledge of the wines and knows how to encourage sharing among the group.

Here’s why organizing a virtual wine experience could be a good solution for your team:

It shows you care. Virtual wine experiences take some planning, and guests know that. While some companies might hold a Zoom happy hour or send a token gift, offering a wine tasting shows that you’ve taken the time and invested in resources for your team.

It’s a great way to bring a distributed workforce together. Part of the difficulty HR departments battled in 2022 with worker malaise was the “remoteness” of professional relationships. While it’s still virtual, bringing people together to sample great wine is a fun and meaningful way for employees to get to know each other better.

It usually ensures 100% attendance. Because guests can enjoy the event from the comfort and convenience of their home, it all but ensures everyone will be there. 

It saves money. Before everyone began working remotely, only well-resourced corporations had the budgets to organize wine events, which often required them to rent facilities and pay for attendees’ transportation. The cost of a virtual wine event costs much less.

It offers opportunities for learning and collaboration. You can design your wine event however it works for your organization, and it doesn’t have to be all about wine. It’s common to schedule time within the event for breakout sessions in which small groups can talk about corporate initiatives and brainstorm new ideas for the coming year.

It boosts morale. At a time when many companies are struggling with labor shortages, it’s essential to put in place ways to build a positive culture. Virtual wine experiences give team members something to look forward to, and the positive feelings they’re left with after each event make them feel more invested in their roles.

Make It a Regular Thing Throughout 2023

To have the most impact, schedule virtual wine events throughout the year. Think of each one as a retreat with added fun and learning about great wines. Be sure to work with a wine experience partner that has a vast network of great sommeliers.

Some companies find it helpful to schedule one each quarter, giving teams the ability to regroup, discuss past successes and challenges, and plan for the next quarter. Virtual wine experiences can also be planned for other occasions, such as birthdays and when a sales team has knocked it out of the park.

Sharing wine and wine knowledge virtually accomplishes many goals HR departments are thinking about as they look forward to 2023. It’s a way for team members to feel appreciated and get to know their coworkers on a deeper level, and everyone feels a bit more invested in their contribution to the enterprise.

Danielle Diliberti is CEO of Sommsation, the leading wine experience platform that gives wine enthusiasts and novices access to top-tier wines, sommeliers, and wineries. 

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