Confessions of an HR consultant: Christmas fear

“ It’s Christmas time; there’s no need to be afraid ” is possibly one of the most untrue lines in pop. I can’t think of a time when there is more need to be afraid. Christmas time is fraught with danger and there is every need to be afraid. There are three particular challenges: the über deadline that is “I need it before Christmas”; the dangerous, “Come on just one more, it is Christmas”, and, lastly, the terror-inducing Christmas Party. These combine to create a perfect storm of stress, tiredness and alcohol-impaired judgment. A mistimed nap during a team meeting one September resulted in my being nominated as that year’s Christmas party organiser. Being young and naïve, I made three fundamental errors (or areas for improvement, depending on your philosophy). I decided to base the party on two bastions of British society: booze and Ronnie Corbett. Error number one was allowing people to imbibe too much Christmas spirit before the diminutive comic genius took to the stage, especially as we didn’t have a stage; people shouting “Stand up!” is funny only so often. Also, there is nothing merry or seasonal about large men trying to persuade a tiny giant of British comedy on to their knee.