GET
INTO THE SPIRIT - WITHOUT THE HANGOVER
The
party season brings an opportunity to build contacts, but
make sure you act professionally, warns Barbara McCarthy
SURVIVING
THE CHRISTMAS PARTY - FORTIFY'S ADVICE |
| * |
Time
your arrival and your departure - don't arrive too early
at the ice-breaking stage and judge your departure too. |
| * |
Have
something to eat before you leave home, so you're not
starving during the early stages of the evening. |
| * |
If
your partner / spouse is invited, tactfully lay down
the law - no heavy drinking, no abuse shouted at anyone,
no erotic dancing ... |
| * |
Be
prepared to perform a party piece, if that is the norm
(e.g. Karaoke can be mandatory if you work for some
asian companies). |
| * |
Be
courteous and professional, without being obviously
stiff. |
| * |
Don't
show favoritism to any particular colleague or subordinate.
Be careful of 'cliquish' behaviour as well. |
| * |
You
are not there to have a good time. Don't do or say anything
that you wouldn't want to see in the newspaper the next
day. |
| * |
In
summary, this may all sound very boring, but work is
work and play is play - no matter how 'relaxed' party
may seem ... |
Spirits
are high and the wine is flowing. The Christmas party season
is here again. Although it may seem like a good time to
let down your barriers, there can be far-reaching consequences
for those who lose control. The office Christmas party is
an opportunity to mingle and make new contacts, but it can
also be a place where reputations are made or broken. If
you emerge from the holiday season as a together, fun person,
your year can start on a high note. If you don't, you may
end up regretting it all year - though you would not be
alone.
More
than 40% of people have done something embarrassing at their
office Christmas party, according to a survey by RecruitIreland.com.
This is hardly surprising given that 74% said they had consumed
too much alcohol. Not all of those uncomfortable displays
involved dancing on tabletops however: 22% admitted to telling
their boss what they thought of him of her while 5.5% went
so far as to resign. Many people find themselves hiding
behind the filing cabinets the next day with their reputation
in tatters.
The
problem is that large quantities of alcohol can loosen tongues
and lead some staff to give voice to grievances, says Rowan
Manahan, the MD of career management firm Fortify Services.
"In vino veritas - in wine, there is truth,"
he said. "If you have any underlying issues that
you would rather not have aired in public, it might be better
to say that you have to drive and stick to orange juice."
Maintaining
a professional demeanour is worth it, he says, as misconduct
in a social setting can resonate for a long time. "End-of-year
bonuses may have been distributed or promotions handed down
before the event. Win or lose, these can be emotional moments,
but try and keep your emotions to yourself," he
said. "This is one night of the year when you really
need to keep your cool."
Manahan
warns that the office party is not the time to jockey for
position either. "If you are thinking of using
this as an opportunity to suck up, beware; it will be noticed,"
he said. "It's not really a time to talk shop."
Only
a small proportion of people report truly enjoying the office
night out, he says. "For many, it is a fear-inducing
event that can be made easier only by the consumption of
alcohol. There are 364 other nights a year when you can
go out and be yourself. It's better to go unnoticed than
to be the centre of (unwanted) attention."
The
bigget mistake people make is thinking that the buffet means
it's "all-you-can-eat" time or that an open bar
means it's a chance to get drunk, says Dr Randall Hansen,
the president of Quintessential Careers, a job search consultancy,
and associate professor of marketing at Stetson University
in Florida.
"A
lot of workers mistake the holiday party for a social gathering,
when it is really another business function,"
he said. "Employees must stay professional at all
times. You do not want to be the person everyone is talking
about the next day and for days to follow." Hansen
says it it important to show up. "Stay long enough
to be seen and to thank all those responsible,"
he said. "You never want to stay the whole time,
never want to be the last person to leave ... nor do you
want to be the first to arrive."
It's
important for senior management to come off as regular people,
says Hansen. "Let people in the organisation see
you as a person rather than a title. Don't ask or demand
any special services. Don't cut in line or feel that your
position deserves any more special treatment than anyone
else at the party." Rather
than huddling in a corner with other senior managers, mingle
and listen to what other employees are saying. This is an
opportunity to find out wht is happening in the trenches.
Those
who work for multi-national or foreign companies should
be aware that their Christmas parties may be different from
the standard Irish affair, says Rory Brennan, a director
of The People Group. "Politics often play a bigger
role in foreign companies than they do in Irish firms,"
he said. "Sometimes a foreign contingent will
be over for the Christmas party, so it is important to watch
what you say. Try and find out who is who in order to avoid
any embarrassment."
New
employees should play it extra safe because they are still
being judged. "Use the office party as a chance
to geet to know as many co-workers and bosses on a personal
level as possible." he said. "Office
parties are great places to network and showcase your strengths
and importance to the organisation - as long as this is
done in moderation."
Bring
a date only if guests are invited. If you do, don't bore
them to death with shop talk, says Lesley Carlin, the co-author
of More Things You Need to Be Told. "Nobody
wants to come to a party to hear the details of your work
problems. Change the subject, or ask other people what they
do for a living."
Be
friendly with all members of staff, but don't try too hard
to fit in with the others. In the TV comedy The Office,
David Brent ends up doing a break-dancing routine in front
of his staff at an office function and the employees simply
cringe with embarrassment for him.

Don't be a turkey: enjoy the festivities,
but don't get roaring drunk or talk shop - and
remember to thank the organisers
|
"Once
the gloss has come off, you won't be able to put it back
on again," said
Jenny Ungless, the MD of City Life Coaching in Britain.
"You don't want to spend years gaining respect
and loyalty only to lose it in a second. Get the balance
right, show your human side, but maintain standards. Be
friendly and approachable and make sure you're never too
close to any member of the opposite sex."
While
42% confessed to RecruitIreland's interviewers that they
had had a romantic interlude with a colleague, such displays
can do serious damage to a promising career. Hilka Klinkenberg,
the founder of Etiquette International and author of At
Ease Professionally, says a Christmas function is a
time to build loyalty and rapport with members of your team.
"It's an opportunity for a chairman to talk to
somebody who is lower down in the totem pole," she
said. "If you make a good impression, you will
be remembered when you want to work your way up."
Office
parties offer one of the few opportunities to meet and mingle
with people from work. "Do your homework. Know
who the team players are. Don't just talk to the person
you sit next to; talk to as many people as you can. It's
a business opportunity without actually talking shop."
When
the party is over, thank the organisers, even if it was
not to your taste, and never drive home when you have had
a few too many.
original article here