Do’s/Don’ts for Your Annual Company Christmas Party
|
A post by "S-Dott " To see more posts click here |
Being as that it’s that time of the year again, I figured I’d crack a few eggs of information for you in an effort to help make your company Christmas Party a slightly more pleasant and beneficial experience.
- If there is a bar, feel free to partake but do NOT get hammered - This seems like common sense but I’ve seen folks completely disregard the latter portion of that suggestion. Getting drunk at a company event can only lead to trouble and is likely to end in someone permanently feeling uncomfortable around you. Sip slow and observe. If you wanted to get drunk you shouldn’t have come to the event. Even though you’re out the office, you’re bosses are still around so consider yourself to still be at work.
- Do not take this opportunity to make a move on a coworker – Unless you work at Dunder Mifflin, don’t expect any happily-ever afters to result under the company umbrella. I’ve seen people get way too comfortable around one another at Christmas parties and completely ignore the extreme complexities associated with having a romantic relationship with a coworker. At most, you want to use the opportunity a help break the ice with some people you may have never had much of a chance to meet before, not elevate existing relationships to the next level.
- Unless you have a specific career-related objective to accomplish, do not show up stag – Showing up solo for a company party doesn’t make sense for anyone who isn’t a hardcore douchebag/networker. Most of the time people remedy showing up alone by just hanging out with people they know once they get there, but sadly this just puts a damper on everyone’s evening (assuming that your friends have not brought dates themselves). If you’re just trying to hang out with your friends from work, you’re much better off hanging out at some other place where your binge drinking won’t be implicitly incorporated into why you’re not getting that promotion.
- Show up late and leave early – Don’t hang around all night. Christmas parties are all about presence (I’m going to pretend like that play on words is intentional), and you’re best served by making your presence felt in the shortest amount of time possible. If you’re there and you get into a bunch of conversations with coworkers then you certainly handle your business, but don’t just stand around waiting for things to happen. Once the party stops working for you, it’s time to go.
This list has pretty much been substantiated by my own personal experiences and, being as that I am a full-time male, is biased towards men. Ladies, feel free to throw your tidbits of advice into the pot.
udothedishes…
to point 1…i always make it a point to make sure that at worst, i’m the 3rd most drunk there. everyone’s gonna remember the person that’s the most drunk and then a couple days later once its been talked to death then maybe they talk about the 2nd most. usually 1 of the 2 makes a big enough scene that #3 maximizes the free drinks while staying under the radar.
can you tell i’ve put serious thought into this?
another that I forgot was “dancing”. Feel free to cut some rug but don’t start crumping or doing some full-on Michael Jackson sequence. You WILL be forever known as the ‘dancing guy’ at Christmas parties thereforth, and you’ll be expected to ‘perform’ at every single Christmas party after that even if you don’t feel like it.
#2 should also include the dates or spouses of your co-workers. I had a really awkward moment at my husband’s Christmas party last year.
- Make sure you are always aware of where the misle-toe is hanging.
The last thing you want is to be caught in an awkward situation with Wendy from accounting. uhhhh…