It can be hard to maintain the company's party line on cost cutting when the company party ignores the bottom line altogether. At the same time, when a company gives a party that seems to be an inappropriate ending to the story that has been told during the year, it is best to remember that companies have these types of events for all sorts of reasons, from the sublime to the ridiculous.
For example, some topsiders regard this type of party as a way to provide the employees with a major thank-you for their hard work during the year. In other cases, management views this type of party as a tradition, and there is concern as to what the employees would think if it were scaled down.
The best step is for you to have a clear understanding of the rationale behind your company's party, and for you to communicate it to your employees. You can certainly add your opinion, and even indicate that you will check into the possibility of having more employee inputs and involvement in planning any such event for the coming year.
Having taken this step, the party is history. Your employees now need to focus on the future, or they can run the risk of being history too.
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