Party Time? Remember to Behave

Mike Donoghue is a member of a multinational information technology corporation where he collaborates on the communications guidelines and customer relationship strategies affecting the interactions with internal and external clients. He has analyzed, defined, designed and overseen processes for various engagements including product usability and customer satisfaction, best practice enterprise standardization, relationship/branding structures, and distribution effectiveness and direction. He has also established corporate library solutions to provide frameworks for sales, marketing, training, and support divisions.

  Career Development   Communications Management  

During certain times of the year, there can be a slew of reasons to have an office party. Regardless of whether it’s a holiday, celebration, moment of reflection, corporate event or some other occasion, the reason to have a party should be one where attendees should make an effort to create an atmosphere of collaborative enjoyment. Basically, everyone should consider it a priority to make the get-together a good time.

If the party is a gathering of peers and managers, you may want to kick back and relax a bit--but be aware that what you do and say will be just as accountable as if you did the same thing in your normal business surroundings. For example:

• Do you arrive late at meetings? How do think people feel about that? Will arriving late at the party produce the same response? Get there with the group and refrain from making an entrance.
• How do people dress at your place of business? Suits and ties? Jeans and flannel shirts? Looking good and getting fixed up is often the best thing--and remember to dress modestly and appropriately.
• What kind of party is it? Do you need to bring something like a symbol of respect, or as a thank you to the people hosting the event? If so, make sure it has the gift has a charm to it and is wrapped simply--no quick picks from the drug store disguised with an outer covering of newspaper.
• Are there clients, …

Please log in or sign up below to read the rest of the article.