Spending time with coworkers at a relaxed, holiday event is a great way to get to know everyone on a different level: the professional veneer comes off a little and you can get to know one another a little better, personally.
However, anything you say or do at the party could affect your career, so while you don’t need to take an oath of silence, you do need to keep a few basic rules in mind before you show up to the shindig!
Always keep in mind that the party is still business
The party that is being hosted by your employer is, despite the canapes and cocktails, a business event. Treat it as such. Would you normally wash back a mouthful of appetizers with three shots of tequila at a business event? No. Apply the same rule here. Would you normally wear a skin tight red mini dress to work? No. Apply the same rule here. Professional attire is fine, or even an elegant evening outfit that has a little bling and holiday style. Think of it this way: would you wear it to the opera? No? Then don’t wear it to the office holiday party!
Stay off social media
If someone at the party does have a few too many, it’s not a good idea to snap a photo and post it, tagging them and the office too! Comments made on social media are hard to get rid of and once they’ve been seen, can do damage to both yourself and the credibility of the brokerage.
Also, spending time staring at your screen instead of mingling with your co-workers isn’t the point of the event, so keep your phone in your pocket for this one!
Don’t miss it
While after work events aren’t always easy to coordinate, what with family obligations and the general mayhem that surrounds the holidays, the office party is almost a ‘must attend’. It’s a chance for your colleagues and your boss to see you operating on a different plane and that matters. You spend a lot of hours a day working with these people: it’s important that they have a good sense of who you are and you of them.
Don’t gossip, flirt or talk shop, if you can avoid it!
Keep the conversation flowing by thinking ahead on some positive, light hearted topics to discuss. Now is not the time to pontificate on your views of the state of politics today, or to gossip in the corner about the office administrator that no one seems to like very much. Keep it light!
Flirting is also a no-no. Just because it’s the office holiday party where everyone is relaxed and enjoying themselves doesn’t mean it’s the right moment to profess your love for one of the real estate agents on your team! Keep it light!
In the same vein, you might want to avoid talking about work too much: the point of the event is to chat on a friendly level, not just resume your afternoon discussion about the latest changes to the mortgage lending regulations. Keep it light!
The whole point of a holiday party is to relax and enjoy it, but the bottom line is: don’t do anything you’ll regret! It’s not worth the repercussions that would be sure to follow on Monday morning!
