Show And Tell At Work Day – Office Shoes, Socks And Ties

Did you get some wonderful ties for Christmas?  Have you taken your Xmas cash and turned it into fabulous shoes? Are your twinkle toes nice and warm in new socks? Then let colleagues know about your good fortune with an office Show & Tell.

When I was at school we never had a ‘show & tell’ afternoon, so having one as a grown up is quite exciting.  But while some people may like to talk about their fantastic – or exclusive – Christmas presents, it’s important that an office show & tell be the kind where everyone can take part, whether you spend your days in the boardroom or post room.

That’s why we a think good topic is shoes, socks and ties.  Unless you work in a barefoot yoga studio, all your colleagues will own at least one of those items.

A show & tell is also a great way to bring a bit of fun into the office, since you can set it up like you’re back in primary school.   

Have everyone sit in chairs – or on the floor! – in a semi-circle.  

The person showing stands up and shares a story about their shoes, socks or tie.  Who gave it to them, why they like it and so on.  

After finishing, the speaker gets a round of applause.

You can also makes things fun by giving people a gold star for taking part, or having an office raffle where each speaker gets a ticket.  The winner could get a box of chocolates or some other small gift.

If anyone is a bit nervous about talking to the group, tell them they’ve got a maximum of two minutes to speak.  That’s plenty of time to share a story, but not so long that it feels overwhelming.  (Another tip for public speaking is to reframe nerves as excitement.)

To get things rolling, here are some socks I treated myself to.  They’re in the colours of my football club and were made in Wales by Corgi.  The company was founded in 1892 and has a Royal Warrant from Prince Charles.  (My shoes aren’t fancy enough to share and while I own several Savile Row ties, they’re very dated – I found them in a charity shop.)

A show & tell is a good way of getting people to re-connect in the office after the break, and you might even find new brands that you like; you can’t wear the same outfit as a co-worker, but you can shop at the same store.

What would you want to share with colleagues?  Let us know in the comments.  Or, even better, tweet us a picture @eurofficecouk.