{"id":320,"date":"2010-12-14T02:11:00","date_gmt":"2010-12-14T02:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.communicationcoach.ca\/blog\/?p=320"},"modified":"2015-03-22T18:35:09","modified_gmt":"2015-03-22T22:35:09","slug":"top-7-tips-to-surviving-the-work-christmas-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.communicationcoach.ca\/blog\/top-7-tips-to-surviving-the-work-christmas-party\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 7 Tips to Surviving the Work Christmas Party"},"content":{"rendered":"
\u2018Tis the season to be invited to Christmas (or \u2018holiday\u2019 or \u2018festive season\u2019, etc<\/i>.) parties sponsored by your place of employment.\u00a0 At first it sounds like a great idea:\u00a0 take a day or half-day off work, mingle with friends and co-workers, eat free food and drink free booze.\u00a0 What a great way to get into the spirit of the season and to start saying good-bye to this year and looking forward to the next one.\u00a0 So what could be wrong with this picture?<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
At first, I personally did not see a problem with in-house celebrations.\u00a0 It seems to build team spirit and gives employees and managers a chance to see each other in a more relaxed atmosphere, even presenting opportunities to get to know each other on a more personal level.\u00a0 And herein lies the problem.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I remember way back in 1997 I was working in an office in Mississauga, Ontario and I was one of the youngest employees there at the time.\u00a0 I was excited to be making a salary instead of a wage, and I was enjoying my job for the most part.\u00a0 I remember one woman named Michelle who I had developed a friendship with and more to the point, a lot of respect for.\u00a0 We were discussing the topic of Christmas parties (or any work-related social gathering for that matter<\/i>) and she staunchly stated that she would never<\/i><\/b> attend a work party.\u00a0 I asked why, naturally.\u00a0 She said that you go to a function on a Friday or Saturday, and by Monday morning, the atmosphere at work is suddenly different, because of some people\u2019s (mis-)behaviours.\u00a0 Tension is in the air, eyes are darting around, whispers are heard and rumours are milling around the water-cooler.\u00a0 This is what Michelle did not like, and that is why she refused to attend work functions specifically where alcohol would be served.\u00a0 <\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
So what do you think of Michelle\u2019s personal rule?\u00a0 Is it a smart rule or is it too strict?\u00a0 <\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I will let you decide.\u00a0 I can tell you that I was a big fan of free food and drinks, and before she gave me her advice I was not thinking ahead to the next work week.\u00a0 After I listened to her advice I decided that yes I would attend such functions, but I would be wary of my behaviour and monitor how much and how quickly I drank, if at all.\u00a0 Here are a few common-sense tips to controlling your behaviour at a work party:<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
1 \u2013 Eat a decent meal before attending.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0 This is to avoid pigging out while you are there and also to avoid drinking on an empty stomach.\u00a0 Displaying a voracious appetite is not professional, nor is getting loopy on one drink.\u00a0 It will then be a long night for you, or worse, a very short one.\u00a0 <\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
2 \u2013 If you decide to drink, pace yourself.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0 Make a rule that you will have one drink per hour and actually take note of the time when you start and end your drinks.\u00a0 <\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
3- Sip, do not guzzle.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0 Some drinks just go down too fast and smoothly, don\u2019t they?\u00a0 But this is not a family summer BBQ, this is a work function and you will be judged Monday on how you carry yourself here and by what you say.\u00a0 Try sipping on a light beer, or a cocktail that is not so appealing to you, like a scotch on the rocks or a martini.\u00a0 This will force you to sip on it with more control.\u00a0 This also allows you to constantly have a drink in front of you so you are not pressured to get another.\u00a0 The \u2018empty-hand\u2019 syndrome causes us to feel out of place and so we often rush to get a replacement beverage.\u00a0 This can accidentally cause over-drinking.\u00a0 <\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
4 \u2013 Be confident in your choices.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0 If someone challenges you on how many drinks you have had or something similar, I hope you can simply smile and tell the person the truth, or disengage from the conversation politely.\u00a0 A confident person has no need to feel bad about limiting his or her drinking in public.\u00a0 A confident communicator is aware of image management rules and is determined to have a happy Monday with no scandals created on their part.\u00a0 <\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
5 \u2013 Lie if you want to avoid peer pressure.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0 Sometimes a \u2018white lie\u2019 is useful as a communication tactic.\u00a0 It is the art of mis-direction.\u00a0 You can claim your 0.5 beer is a \u2018real beer\u2019.\u00a0 You can brag that your cranberry juice is really a Cape Cod (vodka and cranberry).\u00a0 Ask the bartender to give you a lime garnish even when your drink has no alcohol.\u00a0 Looks can be deceiving.\u00a0 Or better yet, claim that your second drink is really your third or fourth.\u00a0 Please note that this is a tactic to use when you do not want to get caught up in the \u2018competitive\u2019 side of drinking that sometimes takes place, or if you are somehow feeling out of place for not drinking with colleagues, and you just want to fit in at the moment.\u00a0 This rule is not as good as the above rule number four, but in a pinch, it can get you out of a competition that you do not want to enter.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
6 \u2013 Be a leader not a follower.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0 Stick to your decisions and manage your image.\u00a0 Do not get caught following the crowd or using the mob mentality as an excuse to do something out of character.\u00a0 Also, if you see a co-worker or friend stepping out of their shell a little too much, take them aside discreetly and give them some friendly advice.\u00a0 Let them know that you care about them and are concerned about their behaviour.\u00a0 Speak to them as a mentor, not as a parent.\u00a0 <\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
7 \u2013 Manage people as well as yourself.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0 It is great to manage yourself but you also have the ability and perhaps even the responsibility to manage others.\u00a0 For example, if a person comes up to you and starts flirting, and you are not comfortable with it, you could \u2018play dumb\u2019 and pretend that you think it is all a big joke.\u00a0 Smile, laugh and walk away.\u00a0 There is not always a need to make a big scene at the time.\u00a0 Some incidents can be stopped easily before they get out of hand by using this technique.\u00a0 In other words, you do not embarrass the other person and then on Monday you do not have the thick tension in the air, and do not have to have a formal meeting with managers, etc.\u00a0 We have all said something or done something bold when we have been nervous or intoxicated.\u00a0 We are all human.\u00a0 Sometimes keeping their dignity in tact is a great gift that you can bestow upon them.\u00a0\u00a0 After all, is this not the season for gift-giving?<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
There are other rules and tips of etiquette that we could go over but for now I think that is enough to get you thinking of how you will manage yourself if and when you attend your holiday parties.\u00a0 There are benefits to attending if you play your cards right.\u00a0 A lot of business is done informally, or \u2018on the golf course\u2019 as we say.\u00a0 However if you damage your image in the eyes of management then you will lose credibility and will not be considered so quickly for promotions.\u00a0 You may even lose your job, if not formally, then by virtue of feeling embarrassed by your actions that you search for new employment. <\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I hope none of that happens to you.\u00a0 I wish you all the best in this December and prosperity in the upcoming new year.\u00a0 <\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Merry Christmas!!!<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
(Updated from original 2008 posted article)<\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u2018Tis the season to be invited to Christmas (or \u2018holiday\u2019 or \u2018festive season\u2019, etc.) parties sponsored by your place of employment.\u00a0 At first it sounds like a great idea:\u00a0 take a day or half-day off work, mingle with friends and co-workers, eat free food and drink free booze.\u00a0 What a great way to get into […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[533,534],"tags":[615,658],"class_list":["post-320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-interpersonal-communications","category-professional-communications","tag-christmas","tag-party"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.communicationcoach.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.communicationcoach.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.communicationcoach.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.communicationcoach.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.communicationcoach.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=320"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.communicationcoach.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":758,"href":"https:\/\/www.communicationcoach.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320\/revisions\/758"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.communicationcoach.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.communicationcoach.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.communicationcoach.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}