Your career needs you to act accordingly at the office party.
Some people love them, and some people dread them. Some look forward to the chance to mix outside the confines of the business and others would rather give up their Christmas bonus than spend precious personal time with their work colleagues.
Which ever side of the equation you sit, there are certain rules of behaviour to follow at the office party if you still want to have an office to go to in the morning.
Put on a brave face
Don’t even consider not going unless you have a justifiable excuse. The office party is part of your job. Its purpose is to bring together co-workers and colleagues for a bit of camaraderie and hopefully some well deserved recognition. If it is not your idea of a great time, then consider it work, put on a brave face, and go.
Find out who else has been invited. Don’t assume that it is just your department or team. Knowing who will be there and having an idea what to talk about will make the whole event that much easier. Also unless your ‘other half’ is mentioned or the invite is addressed to you ‘and guest’, you, and only you should turn up.
Arrive early and stay long enough to speak to everyone, assuming it is not a cast of thousands. With a larger gathering, meet as many people as possible, especially key people like your boss. You need to stay at the party long enough so it is not felt that you felt your appearance was obligatory. Don’t be late either. No one is there to see your grand entrance, and being late gives the impression that you don’t care about the occasion. Ensure that you thank the appropriate people, but don’t overstay your welcome. You don’t want everyone to think that your next career move is with the cleaners on the night shift.
What to wear
Remember that this is the office party and think carefully when deciding what to wear. If the event is immediately after work, then business attire is appropriate. If it is later in the evening, it may depend on the type of event. If you’re not sure what to wear, check directly with the organisers or your colleagues. Make sure that what you wear reflects well on you professionally. This will not be the best time to show up in your most revealing outfit. Guys take note.
Make a point to catch up with people you haven’t seen in a while. The Christmas party is a good time to actually meet the people from other departments that you may have only dealt with through e-mail and voicemail. Introduce yourself to someone you don’t know – they might surprisingly turn out to be interesting. Or if that’s not your thing, find someone who looks as miserable as you feel and speak to them.
Watch what you drink, remind yourself that this is a business event first and a party second. Alcohol and business rarely mix as well as we think and this is a time to build business relationships and promote yourself. Don’t drink like it’s a stag or hen party. You do have to work with these people in the morning.
The Christmas party is not the time to let your hair down and throw caution to the wind. What you say and do will live on for a long time in the minds of your colleagues. If your behaviour is inappropriate, your career may be shorter than everyone else’s memory. If you conduct yourself professionally, your rise up the career ladder may accelerate. Enjoy.
