Nov
The holiday season is upon us once again and with that comes a great deal of company and business related events and parties. To not be too blunt….BE CAREFUL!! The holiday gossip is something that most people look for during this season. Who did what, etc? As trivial and unimportant it might be, the impacts of these events when not taken seriously are severe. Remember, this is business.
People seem to forget that their surroundings have changed, not their audience. The people are the same, and happen to be the ones that will dictate your future performance, career path, and longevity with the company. Company sponsored events are a prime place for people to drop their careers through the floor or benefit by acting appropriate and impressing the powers at be. This in no way means being a dud, but keeping one’s tongue. Appropriate conversation is a huge problem, as the presence of a relaxed atmosphere brings people’s guard down thus causing them issues when returning to the work place. Nothing should be discussed at the company party that would not be discussed at work itself.
The largest contributing factor in the behavior problems at company sponsored events - Alcohol. No issues. We are all adults and hopefully professional ones at that. No one is saying it has to be a dry party, but this is not a place or time to cut loose and let your hair down. Extension of work is where you are and with that, same responsibilities. Be careful to guard yourself against consumption that would lead you to do things otherwise questionable. Keep to one drink over the course of the evening. Sip, or simply switch to something non-alcoholic when the first drink is finished. This will ensure your involvement, but keeping a safe distance from a line that no one with career aspirations wants to cross, or even walk.
To summarize…play it safe. This is one night out of the holidays in which not to show your other side or re-live college days. This is the people you work with, and your image should be improved with the behavior you show, not destroyed. Work parties can always be fun and lively. Keep them that way by being responsible.
