As the end of the year approaches, Slack and Teams chats inevitably turn to Christmas lunches and end‑of‑year celebrations. Long boozy lunches, Kris Kringle, Bad Santa and gift cards remain standard fare, while some organisations take it further with scenic cruises, themed parties or even visits from Santa himself.
These celebrations offer a welcome pause. They help people relax, connect and reflect. Yet the truth is that a single festive gesture does little to improve workplace culture when appreciation is only expressed once a year. In some cases, it can have the opposite effect. If employees feel overworked, undervalued, unheard or unappreciated for the remaining 364 days, the end‑of‑year festivities can feel less like gratitude and more like a contrived distraction.
Just like a puppy, culture is not just for Christmas.
Recent research by Gallup and Workhuman demonstrates that where recognition and feedback happen regularly, outcomes shift strongly in favour of engagement, retention and performance. Employees receiving high‑quality recognition are significantly more likely to feel connected, motivated and committed to their organisation.
Few leaders embody this more visibly than Garry Ridge, former CEO and now Chairman Emeritus of WD‑40 Company. Under his leadership, WD‑40 achieved engagement scores that reportedly hovered around ninety‑three per cent, a figure virtually unheard of in global employee surveys. Ridge attributes much of this success to a simple philosophy: treat people as if they matter every day, not just on the days that appear in the social calendar. As he puts it, "People go to work every day wanting to do a good job. A leader’s role is to help them win." Appreciation, in his world, is not a perk. It is an intentional, ongoing practice.
This thinking aligns with the research of Amy Edmondson, whose work on psychological safety shows that high‑performing teams thrive when people feel valued, heard and supported to speak up. Psychological safety is not a soft cultural accessory. It is a foundation for learning, collaboration and innovation.
Without this, growth stalls. Undervalued and under supported staff are unlikely to feel motivated to generate ideas for improvement or growth. Even when ideas do emerge, they rarely survive in environments where people are navigating fear, fatigue or cynicism. Innovation cannot be commanded. It can only be invited through an ecosystem that consistently reinforces trust, autonomy and appreciation.
This is why positive culture cannot be seasonal. It has to be lived in the ordinary moments, the daily check‑ins, the small acknowledgements and the genuine curiosity leaders show about people’s work and wellbeing. Culture grows through the behaviours repeated most often. A workplace that celebrates only in December but overlooks its people in March, July or October will never access the discretionary effort, creativity or loyalty that a deeper culture makes possible.
There is also a growing trend worth acknowledging. When care and appreciation are absent during the year, end‑of‑year celebrations can trigger disengagement in two distinct ways. Some employees choose to boycott them entirely because they feel the gesture is hollow or performative. Others exploit the generosity, treating the event as an entitlement rather than a privilege. Both reactions signal a deeper cultural misalignment. They reveal values that have drifted, expectations that are unclear and relationships that have weakened.
Only a culture that is supportive, human and appreciative every day of the year consistently performs, innovates and grows. Christmas parties may create moments of joy, but an everyday practice of appreciation creates the conditions for progress.
If leaders want people to care about the organisation’s mission, they must first show that they care about the people who make that mission possible.