The Office Party: Don’t Check Your Professionalism with Your Coat

Community Manager — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:37:00 GMT

Think the office holiday party is a time to let your hair down and blow off some steam? Think again. It's called an "office" party for a reason: the end-of-the year holiday party is an extension of work and attendees should conduct themselves accordingly.

The first rule of thumb: watch your alcohol consumption. The odds of winding up with a lampshade on your head, or committing other embarrassing lapses in judgment, are greatly decreased if you practice moderation or skip the bar altogether.

Parties generally call for festive attire but leave revealing looks for off-hours. Punch up your regular office apparel with bright colors or party fabrics such as sequins and velvet, but keep covered up.

Likewise, keep party chit chat professional. You don't need to break out power point presentations but you do want to avoid revealing too much personal information or appear to be engaging in flirty banter with your colleagues. Save your witty one-liners for close friends and keep your office colleagues at a warm distance.

Finally, understand that the office party is a chance for you to shine (and we don't mean on the dance floor). Senior level staff are often required to interact with clients or represent the company. Navigating social situations with polish and professionalism will get you noticed for the right reasons.

For more dos and don'ts, Forbes.com has an instructive gallery of pictures: How Not To Behave At The Office Party.

Do you have any office party tips to share? Post your thoughts here or at the Beyond Folders Facebook page.

by Carly Fadako

Office Gift Giving Made Easy

Community Manager — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 12:53:00 GMT

Halloween is the starting gun; the holiday race is on. Fall disappears at a breakneck pace, its time to start thinking about the winter gift-giving season. With the Recession making funds tighter, navigating office gift giving is trickier than ever. Finding appropriate gifts for office Secret Santas or your boss is never easy. Doing so on a budget is tougher still.

What's Your Office Gift Giving Strategy?

No matter the size of your budget, keep in mind a few key considerations when shopping to ensure your gift is appropriate and well received. Gifting at Work: What's Right? What's Wrong? outlines 10 useful Do's and Don'ts. They include:

Do ask human resources about gifting policies. There may be a dollar-amount limit or gift giving might be prohibited altogether.
Don't give gifts that are too intimate.
Don't make a big scene when presenting the gift as you may embarrass the recipient.
Do be careful about buying gifts for your boss. You don't want to appear to be currying favor. So check to see if counterparts are giving him/her gifts as well.
Do give co-workers something that reflects their interests, values and tastes.
Don't give liquor unless you know the recipient drinks.
Do consider giving a work-related gift, like a great pen or new planner.
Don't break the bank; gifts don't need to be expensive to be thoughtful.
Do remember that gift giving is its own reward; expecting lavish appreciation may leave you disappointed.
Don't regift, or pass along freebies as gifts. You may get caught and it looks cheap.

Cash-strapped workers will want to get creative in gift giving. Harvard Business Review blogger Rosabeth Moss Kanter has wonderful suggestions in 12 Gifts for Cash-Short, Recession-Weary Workplaces.

My favorite ideas? Bosses taking a morning to serve subordinates breakfast or the priceless gift of time off. Send everyone home early one day to finish their own holiday shopping. You can't put a dollar amount on time off during the frenzied holiday season.

Finally, consider the sentiment of the season and make a donation to a charity close to the recipient's heart.

The website JustGive.org makes donating to a range of charities simple.

Does your office have holiday gift-giving guidelines? Do you have creative, low-cost gift ideas? Share your thoughts here or at the Beyond Folders Facebook page.

by Carly Fadako

Beyond Folders : holiday gifts, office gift giving

The Office Party: Don’t Check Your Professionalism with Your Coat

Office Gift Giving Made Easy