Office Parties
Office holiday parties can range from quick and informal to long and elaborate events, but whatever the scale they are among the times when our personal and professional lives overlap, and can present a few challenges.
Adam Lowe
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Office Parties
Today we’ll go through a few tips for surviving office holiday parties with your manners intact. Office holiday parties can range from quick and informal to long and elaborate events, but whatever the scale they are among the times when our personal and professional lives overlap, and can present a few challenges.
Should you attend your office party? Office parties may happen during work hours, may be purely optional events, may be official company sponsored events or spontaneously organized by coworkers. Whatever the case, you must balance your personal desire to go with your colleagues’ expectations. If it is a large event with only a fraction of the company attending, it won’t be too difficult to send your regrets if you don’t want to go. If it is a command performance or if most of your coworkers will be attending then it is probably a good idea to make an appearance. To some companies, culture and social connection are very important, so attending may be a requirement. If you cannot attend, then make it clear in advance that you won’t be able to make it and be clear about your reasons.
While you may want to wear your most festive attire to a party, remember that the office party is also a work function, so balance this in your mind when you choose your outfit. While you want to be fun and celebratory, remember that there will likely be pictures circulating around the office afterwards, so keep that in mind when getting dressed. Some companies have a very casual and collegial atmosphere, so in that case you may feel you have a little more latitude, but it’s still a good idea to avoid excessively revealing outfits.
One of the most important things is to watch how much you drink. An open bar can be tempting, but this is still part of your professional life so remember to moderate your alcohol consumption. Even if it is an open bar, it may be appropriate to tip the bartender (occasionally parties will have rules against this, but you can always ask your server), and a bartender can be a good ally in helping to keep your alcohol intake down. You might select one bartender and give her or him an extra-generous tip, and ask that you be poured very light drinks or soft drinks if you are in a situation where there is a lot of social pressure to make frequent use of the bar. Of course if you are driving or don’t drink, it is perfectly reasonable to say so.
If parties occur during work hours, they are usually just for employees, but evening events may be for workers and their dates. If you have a significant other, you should probably bring him or her along, especially if it is a very couples-oriented event. You can certainly bring a friend if you don’t happen to have anyone special in your life at the time, and it may make it more enjoyable to have a partner in crime. You might also consider lining up another friend from work who is also single to be your office party partner. Remember that you will need to introduce your date to your colleagues at work, so brush up on names before the event. We did one of our earliest episodes on introductions, and we’ll put a link up in the transcript. If you see a colleague getting a bit out of control during the office party, you should try to offer some productive intervention. Offer to get him a cab home, or tell him of your concern in a polite but direct way. You might say something like, “Chris, I’m a little bit worried that you might need some help getting home; may I call you a cab?” which would not accuse him of being out of control, but offer a clear indication. If your colleague becomes belligerent, you may have to step away, but of course if he is going to do something dangerous (like try to drive), you should call on others to discreetly help you intervene.
Finally, while you may have been witness to some wild antics, and certainly part of the fun of the party will be recalling the more memorable events at the water cooler the following day, remember to be respectful when it comes to observations that might be hurtful or damaging to your colleagues. Someone’s wild dancing may be a good topic for a little breakroom fun, but a person’s indiscretion with a coworker is best left a private affair.
So here’s hoping all your holiday parties are fun and enjoyable, and thank you for listening to quick and dirty tips for a more polite life.
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