Make The Office Party Work For You

Resolve now to enjoy the annual holiday party at your place of work, but never forget it’s still a work function. So make it work for you.

“It’s critical to remember that the annual holiday party is still a work function, and anything you say or do could affect your standing with your employer,” says John Challenger, the head of Challenger, Gray and Christmas, a consulting firm specializing in outplacement.

Here is some career advice from Mr. Challenger about how to make the office party work for you:

• Get there early. The best time to talk with senior executives (okay, smooze) is the beginning when things are still quite.

• Branch out from your usual group of co-workers to meet others from different departments.

• Don’t party too much. Limit your drinking so you won’t be fodder for office gossip or the next former employee. Don’t flirt. You don’t want to be dealing with sexual harassment charges in 2007.

• Don’t talk shop. Save the big idea for office hours. Show interest in your associates’ lives off the job.

And, finally, heed this advice from Common Sense At Work:

Don’t do or say anything that you wouldn’t want to appear in the office blogs or on the bulletin boards the next day.

Here’s to your success.

Ramon Greenwood