December 15, 2016 | 5 min read
Going To Your Company’s Holiday Party Soon? Here’s How To Leave It Unscathed

Catherine

The holidays are officially here, so many of you know what that means —‘tis the season for your company’s holiday party! For many of us, the holiday party is a time when we get to come together as a collective group to let loose and socialize about something other than the typical day-to-day office workings.

And, it’s the time of year where things could get a bit out of hand. In fact, there’s even a movie coming out soon about just how wild those parties can be! All joking aside though, you do want to make sure you don’t make any embarrassing faux pas that become the topic of conversation until next year’s holiday party!

Hoping to avoid being the center of the drama at your office’s holiday party this year? Here’s how to do it:

Be timely

Want to know what’s overrated? Being fashionably late to the office holiday party. Sure, trickling in 10 to 20 minutes after the party starts is fine, but getting there an hour after it starts is rude and disrespectful. Is this the office and do the rules of punctuality apply to the party? No, but don’t draw attention to yourself by coming into the party an hour after it has already begun.

Keep conversations professional

While the company holiday party is a more relaxed environment than normal, it’s still important to keep conversations professional. Sure, if you have a close circle of work friends who you’re comfortable being more open and informal with, then it’s fine to talk as you normally would. However, the holiday party is a perfect opportunity to talk with people who you don’t talk to on a regular basis. Those conversations? Keep ‘em classy.

Don’t hover around the buffet line

Perhaps your company is having people bring their own dishes, or maybe they’re going all out and catering the party with a buffet. Whatever they may be doing, there will likely be many options and there will surely be a long line to get to the food. While you may want to get to the food as soon as possible, don’t be the person who hangs around the food table a solid hour before the food even comes out. Sure, you’ll get your food before everyone else, but that’s valuable time you could spend catching up with colleagues or socializing in general.

Show up for work the next day

If you have vacation or personal days left in your pocket that you’re looking to use, the day after your company’s holiday party could be an option you wish to pursue. But, if you aren’t able to do that and you know you’ll be in the office the next day, you’ll definitely want to make sure you keep yourself in check. While the open bar may be calling your name, it’s important to remember that you have a full day of work to look forward to in the morning. Know your limits and don’t let yourself get out of hand!

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