Navigating The Office Christmas Party

We all have a story about an office Christmas party where a colleague was remembered for all the wrong reasons. Here are a few tips to navigate yourself away from the Christmas party history books.

Office Christmas parties. Some love them, others avoid them, but they happen every year, and there’s always someone who goes that little bit too far and regrets it.

Follow these tips to avoid the headache (literally).

1. Enjoy yourself in moderation

It’s been a tough year, and you definitely deserve to have some fun, but you don’t want it to be a night you regret or worse, one that costs you your job.

Have a great time but make sure you keep yourself in check so you can come to work without the anxiety of the night before.

Remember back to that person at the corporate party who took it too far. Yeah, you don’t want to be that person. It’s still a work function, and what you do will be remembered. Don’t be remembered for the wrong reasons.

2. Use the opportunity to meet new people

Often we gather around those who we feel comfortable with but instead, use it as an opportunity to meet new people. Unless you’re in a small business, there may be people you’ve never spoken to.

Who knows, you might make a new friend out of it.

3. Skip the work chat

A hard one, we know. When we’re not sure what to chat about, the default is to talk about work. Don’t default to this.

Instead, try learning more about your colleagues. What they’re into, their plans for the summer and ask questions you’ve not asked them before. You might find out something interesting.

4. Look out for others

If you see a colleague heading in the wrong direction, politely pull them aside and let them know. You may not get a thankful response at the time, but they’ll definitely thank you for it later.

5. New to the company? Mix & mingle

Being the newbie at a company Christmas party can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Work the room, get to know new people.

If you struggle to start a conversation, ask people about themselves and let the conversation flow from there.

6. Know when to call it a night.

Possibly the most important one of them all. Knowing when it’s time to leave. Have a plan in mind. I’m going to have 3 drinks and leave by 10pm. 

You don’t want to wait until someone says, “maybe it’s time you head home”. Don’t let all that hard work you’ve done throughout the year be undone by one silly moment.

So, there you have it – the do’s & don’ts for this year’s Christmas party. 

Have fun & remember, don’t be that person.