Interesting campaign being run out of Australia which could give some lessons for offices all over the world in the lead-up to Christmas.

The Kick the Kringle campaign, run by Our Community which is the massive national resource organization for Australia's 700,000 non-profit groups, is telling workplaces to get rid of the yearly ritual of exchanging unwanted gifts of oil burners, gilded photo frames and gaudy neckties in favor of a more meaningful Christmas contribution. It's asking workplaces to abolish Kris Kringle and Secret Santa activities, and encourage employees to instead donate the money they would have spent on unwanted gifts to a needy local community group.

The campaign offers 10 ways to kick the Kringle. You can read about them here.

They include setting a challenge for everyone in the workplace (e.g. swapping fries for salads) at the beginning of the month, and then checking up closer to Christmas. Those who have failed to complete the challenge have to donate $20 which is then donated to a community. Or getting staff to paint or draw one another, then auctioning off the work and donating the proceeds to a charity or community group. Or holding an Office Olympics with all contestants paying an entry that is again donated. Or getting staff to donate their skill, be it accounting or marketing or administration, to a community group.

Pretty good ideas. And the great part is that it would bring people in the workplace closer together, which is terrific for team-work and morale.