Behave at your company’s holiday party
With the year coming to a close, you will most likely find yourself at the company holiday party. While this is a great time to get to know your co-workers outside of the office, you need to keep a few things in mind to ensure you don’t ruin any professional relationships that you’ve worked so hard to cultivate. John Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray and Christmas, offered some basic advice in an interview with Forbes.
“The holiday party is a great time to build relationships,” Challenger said. “Don’t get into behaviors that might cause relationships to deteriorate or be damaged.”
Keeping that simple piece of advice in mind, here are four tips to how you should behave at your own company’s holiday party this year:
Get to know people
It’s not every day that you get to interact with co-workers outside of a working environment, so take advantage of the time you spend at the holiday party to get to know them on a more personal level. You don’t have to pour your heart out to them (actually, please don’t), but it’s not a bad idea to get to know what people in your office do on their own time. You may find another fantasy football nut to have a complete league next season. Additionally, most times office parties extend to the entire staff, giving you the opportunity to introduce yourself to people who work in a different department or even the higher-ups within your company. Don’t miss out on an excellent opportunity to network with people within your own organization!
Participate in events
There’s no doubt plenty of activities will be going on during the holiday party. It might come in the form of a gift exchange with co-workers or even by singing karaoke; just don’t miss out on the opportunities to have fun with colleagues. Don’t worry, even if singing isn’t your thing, by simply participating in the activity you and your co-workers will bond in a different way than you ever have during nine to five, even if it’s over shared laughs. The last thing you want is to gain the reputation of being the office grouch because you refuse to put yourself out there during events.
Keep it professional
While it’s great to let loose a little bit, make sure you that you stick to business professional etiquette at the party. While you want to get to know co-workers a little better, at the end of the day they are still people you work with in a professional environment. Just because it’s a party doesn’t mean that you should arrive in shorts and an old T-shirt. Dress in attire that would be acceptable on a work day at the office. Some holiday parties may require a particular dress code, like a black tie event, for example. Make sure you dress accordingly!
Stay under control
It’s fairly common for work holiday parties to include alcohol as part of the festivities, whether the party is in the office or at an outside establishment. If you are going to drink, do it responsibly and in moderation. Don’t be the drunkard at your own company’s holiday party. That’s one of the fastest ways to ruin relationships in your own office. Also, don’t forget about the other parts that make up good office etiquette. Simply because you are together with co-workers outside office hours doesn’t give you the right to behave inappropriately. Only say or do things that you would feel comfortable doing around your boss and someone from human resources.
