Do yourself a favor this holiday season and say NO to foolishness during your company’s annual Christmas party. I have seen one too many people get fired for drinking too much and convincing themselves that an office party is no different from any other party.
There could be nothing further from the truth. Sure everyone wants to have a good time and let loose, but no one wants to be exposed to any sort of wild personality trait that totally shatters their image of you being the in control, responsible corporate professional.
If you are dying to expose your wild side at work, then save it for a more intimate group of co-workers who know a little more about you. Don’t drop it on a bunch of folks who have only seen you passing by in the hallway. Imagine showing up to work the next day and trying to act like what you did was simply an aberration due to a fun environment. It won’t work, no one will ever buy your facade again.
So maybe you are wondering what are the definite “no’s” during the holiday party season. Let’s KISS, no that does not mean you and I will lock lips. It means, let’s Keep It Simple…. oh you get the point! Here are a set of rules that you should refer to after drink number 3 or 4 if you are a lightweight and drink number 6 – 7 if you are anyone else.
- Tell jokes, but keep the naughty words out of it. Just because people are laughing with you does not give you free reign to drop all formalities and curse like a sailor. Why? Because you are most likely not a sailor. If you liberally curse and that is not your normal style, you will offend people. The last thing you want to be at your X-Mas party is the rebel without a cause who offends with reckless abandon. If you get too out of hand you will be fired with cause! Try that on for size.
- Leave the girls alone. Maybe you have been so busy with work that you have not had a chance to get out and mingle. And now all of a sudden you are surrounded by office mates who totally have let their guard down because they rightfully should at an office Christmas party. So this is not the time and place to be the Don Juan of XYZ Widgets, Inc. I know of senior level leaders getting fired for inappropriate comments or actions at such parties. So no one from top to bottom and back to the top is immune from regrettable actions.
- Don’t get tanked. You may like to drink and the bubbly will probably be flowing in abundance. But why on Earth would you let yourself get drunk in front of your co-workers. Getting drunk to the point where you wobble, stare at people or at worse pass out is a sure fire way to show people that you lack self control. Remember, at a Christmas party, the less concerned you become about yourself as you drink more and more, the more people around you get concerned about you drinking more and more. So don’t get to the point where your boss or your bosses boss asks you to lay off the happy tonic for the rest of the night.
- Ladies, if you don’t want that creep co-worker from rule #2 to make you feel uncomfortable all night then keep your attire limited to something appropriate for a family function. I know this is the year 2011 going on 2012 and family functions have changed over the years, but think this one through for a second. I am not saying you don’t have freedom to wear what you want… you certainly do. But what you wear will attract a certain type of attention. For example, if I wear a Boston Celtics jersey to a LA Lakers playoff game at the Staples Center, then I am bound to get heckled at some point. If you wear a revealing outfit to your office Christmas party, you are bound to get hit on by someone you may not be able to avoid the next day. Imagine turning someone down after they hit on you and then running into them at the water cooler the next day. #uncomfortablemoments
- Spouses… if you are attending your spouses Christmas party, you are not free to break the rules. Don’t be “that” guy or girl. Don’t embarrass your spouse and don’t embarrass yourself. And if you don’t want to be there, accept that you are there and don’t make it obvious you’d rather be doing anything else but this. Consider it an investment into your spouses career. If you really screw up at the party, chances are your spouse won’t get fired. But you will have eternally embarrassed them, and who wants do that? If you know you are going to act out, then you’d better just sit this one out. Spouses, if you know this is a possibility, don’t fret going it alone! Better safe than sorry.
I could probably think of 10 more things not to do at your annual company sponsored Christmas party, but if you follow through on the 5 mentioned above, you will probably make it out safe. Contrary to the amount of restrictions I have offered, the entire event can be fun, full of surprises and most importantly great for your career.
This can be your opportunity to build rapport with the folks who can get you to the next level. Or this could be your perfect opportunity to have a good time and keep your job for another day!
Make it Happen!
