Top 10 things to know before you head to your office party. An office holiday party can be a fun night with your co-workers. While you may not usually enjoy socialising with people you work with, a holiday party can be a great excuse to make some new friends, reconnect with some old friends and interact with people you may not talk to on a regular day.
Here are ten things you should know before you head to your company holiday party
Just Go
You may have been considering skipping the party. Don’t! Just go even if it is just for a while, you can always make up a credible sounding excuse later if you want to leave. Even if the holiday party is an optional one, do attend it. Don’t assume that you won’t be missed.
If you can’t go due to genuine reasons, then don’t sweat it
If you can’t make it to the party because you have a real reason for staying home or are not in town on the day then don’t worry too much, it is just a party after all. However remember that the more senior you are at your company, the more you are going to be missed, so consider your office party before you plan your travel and family commitments for the holidays.
Talk to people you don’t usually socialize with
An office party is not a place where you should only hang out with the four people you eat lunch with every day. Spend at least some time with others who you may not know very well. You may be surprised to see that you have some new friends and new opportunities. Socializing with people from HR, accounts and IT can be a good way to build goodwill with them. Similarly, don’t hesitate to talk to people who are senior to you, networking is the only way they will remember you when an opportunity arises.
Meet your boss at the party
Don’t forget to say hi to your boss at the party lest they think you skipped it. You needn’t spend a lot of time with them but talking to them for a short while can mean they know you made it to the party.
Don’t focus on talking about work
Sure this is an office party, but it is a ‘party’ so don’t bring up work if no one else is talking about it. Similarly keep it simple and revolve your conversations around topics that are not too controversial.
Take up party related responsibilities
This can work well in two ways, one people consider you as someone familiar and the person who did ‘whatever’ at the party while making you seem like a hard working person. Another benefit is that you don’t have to spend all your time making small talk if that is something you don’t really enjoy.
Don’t bad-mouth anyone
Being a good person always has it benefits; don’t say anything bad about anyone at the party whether it is the janitor or the CEO, these things have a way of reaching the person. In simple words be very careful of what you say to anyone at the holiday party.
Beware of the booze
Okay not literally beware, since it is a party and you may want to unwind a little with some drinks. But don’t drink anything more than you can handle comfortable. Remember that these are your co-workers and not people you would want to be vulnerable around.
Meet as many people you can before leaving and thank the organizers
Putting together a holiday party is a lot of hard work, so thank the people who worked hard to make the party happen. They are likely to remember your gratitude.
