Seasonal · 11 records · for a shared workspaceRun a Secret Santa

A Secret Santa is a small logistics problem that one person always ends up carrying. This is that person's plan: draw the names, agree the number, chase the stragglers, and have somewhere the rules are written down so the same three questions are not asked eleven times.

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Goal

Everyone has a gift on the day Week 5

Names drawn early, a budget agreed, and one place the rules live.

Set it up Week 2

Budget before names, so nobody has to object afterwards.

  • Agree the budget with the groupDo firstDay 4
  • Confirm who is inDo firstDay 8
  • Draw the names and tell everyoneDo firstDay 12

Chase and hand over Week 5

Mostly answering the same three questions.

  • Write the rules, the number and the date somewhere sharedDo firstWeek 2
  • Remind everyone a week beforeWeek 4

Routines

  • Check everyone is sortedweekly
✦ It puts something in the calendar

Dates you will not have to remember

The gift exchange

25 December13:00
✦ It comes with a note

Budget before names

A number agreed after the names are drawn always suits whoever suggested it. Ask first, and pitch it at the least comfortable person in the group.\n\nMost of the organising is answering the same three questions repeatedly. Writing the rules down once removes nearly all of it.

Questions

Run a Secret Santa, answered.

Three to four weeks out. Earlier and people forget; later and anybody buying something thoughtful rather than panicked has no time to, which is the whole point of drawing names at all.
Whatever the least comfortable person in the group is happy with, agreed out loud before names are drawn. A number set afterwards always suits whoever suggested it.
Write the rules, the number and the date somewhere everyone can read, and set one reminder a week before. Most of the chasing is answering the same three questions repeatedly, which a written note removes entirely.
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