The Office Holiday Party: Act Accordingly
It's December, and anyone who works in an office knows what that means:
the annual work get-together is just around the corner.
Of course, we've all heard the cliché horror stories of entire careers
being derailed by the comically-intended but ultimately silly placement
of a lampshade onto one's head, or the accidental slip of the tongue in
describing out loud that the dress the boss's wife is wearing would be
better suited for a farm animal.
Here are some common sense insights when it comes to office party
etiquette:
If there's alcohol, drink in moderation.Naturally, this
should go without saying, but still...the aforementioned lampshade
almost always ends up where it's not supposed to be because someone had
too much to drink. Always remember that even though it is a party
environment, the occasion is still work-related and you don't want to do
something you'll regret the next morning.
Find out beforehand who's invited (and who's not).If the
invitations don't specifically say to bring along your spouse, it's
likely that spouses are not invited. Things could get pretty
uncomfortable if you're the only one at the party to show up with your
husband, wife or significant other.
Use the opportunity to mingle.Office parties are often among
the few events on a companys schedule where people from all ranks within
the company get a chance to rub elbows. You can spend plenty of time
with your regular office buddies almost any time, utilize the holiday
bash as a great opportunity to make yourself more visible among
decision-makers in your company who could one day view you as the next
department head or some other position of authority.
Dress the (right) part.Most of us at one time or another in
our business careers have witnessed the transition of a daytime
co-worker into a night-time holiday partier...and that transition is not
always pretty, punctuated by too-short or too-tight clothing, an over
abundance of makeup, or some other inappropriate look. Dress in a way
that enhances your professional image instead of compromising it.
Be prepared to speak, just in case.Many companies use
the occasion of their annual holiday party to recognize top performers
in the company. If you think you may be so-honored and then asked to say
a few words, be sure to prepare some remarks ahead of time...rather than
trying to wing a short speech that might not end up being your
best-chosen words.
