Experts Weigh In: How To Survive Your 2015 Tampa Office Holiday Party

09 Dec 2015

Ok Tampa Bay

Want to survive the company Christmas party? Want to make sure you still have a job when you show up on Monday.

We pulled together some of the best advice (and humorous advice) from some of the top office experts out there — information from Forbes, LinkedIn, Fast Company, Guyism and many more.

While this is not a survival guide, this advice should help you navigate your way through the mine field of holiday parties, Christmas get-togethers, December volunteer hours and much more.

Most of it common sense? Yes, but these lists wouldn’t exist if there were not people every season who violated the basic foundation of office decorum.

Showing up in an elf costume while you’re half in the bag and ogling the VP of Finance’s wife is not a good way to proceed.

We think the best advice is generally centered around a few things (as you’ll see below)

1 — Watch the booze**

2 — Don’t get intimate with co-workers

3 — Don’t insult your boss

4 — Don’t get into a fist-fight or verbal argument

5 — Be careful with that White Elephant gift

***the number of drinks you have can dramatically impact # 2, # 3 and # 4!

Other than that, let’s see what the experts say

Forbes Magazine weighs in with the sensible and practical How Not To Disgrace Yourself at the Company Holiday Party. Probably a better read for lawyers, bankers and anyone on the way up the corporate ladder.

On the flip side is the gem from BroBible’s Guyism page, 7 Things You Should Not Do At Your Office Holiday Party.

Read more of the details by clicking through on the link above yet, but to distill it quickly, here are the top 7!

7 — DON’T…get sloppy drunk

6 — DON’T…hook up with co-workers

5 — DON’T…bring somebody you barely know

4 — DON’T…forget people’s names

3 — DON’T…dance (especially like Elaine Benes)

2 — DON’T…start a conversation involving politics or religion

1 — DON’T…dress like a jacka$$

Check out this video from Fast Company: What not to do at your company holiday party

Let’s see more

Here’s more straight laced advice (but honestly a good read too).

From Quint Careers: The Do’s and Dont’s of Holiday Office Parties

Love this one from TheGuardian.com: A Christmas Party Survival Guide

From Huffington Post: Office Party FAIL Compilation (video)

Want to see more? Hit the Google Button on these words:

• Office Holiday Parties Gone Wrong
• Awkward Office Holiday Parties
• Christmas Party Fails Funny Videos
• Office Holiday Parties Office Holiday Party FAILS

Lose the booze

Fastest way to a pink slip? Best way to be the subject of conversation throughout the New Year? Potential DUI from Tampa Bay’s finest?

Yep — get drunk at the holiday party. A few drinks are ok of course. But once the alcohol kicks in, well….

It’s better to go easy or…hard as it may be…forgo the wine/liquor/beer for another night when you have a little more control.

As we said, it makes everything else that much harder to control…like….

Saying no to office hook-ups

We won’t delve too far into this one, but nothing stirs up the rumor mill faster than two folks who have hit it off at the holiday party.

Whether anything happens or not, people love to dish over the latest ‘hot dish.’

Insulting the boss

Most people won’t directly…knowingly…insult their boss of co-worker, but if the drinks are going down, loose lips can sink your ship.

How about this one from ABCNews.com “Merry Christmas, You’re Fired”. Ouch.

More Insider Tips from HR Folks at HRNasty.com.

Fighting!

Punches thrown at co-workers. Fights over co-workers. Heated arguments that results from well…probably nothing REAL at all.

Yes. Fights happen at Christmas parties at offices.

Like this one we saw at AskAManager.com: I punched a coworker at the company Christmas party

or

Maybe some legal insight after a Christmas Party Brawl — from the good folks at HRZone.com.

Go easy on the white elephant gift

Be funny. Be silly. Just be careful not to be irreverent to the point of being insulting.

Dress appropriately

Be funny or seasonal if you can, but most office party settings require business casual — not elf casual.

Understand the statistics!

We read these eye-opening stats at LiveCareer.com and their post called Embarrassing Holiday Party Blunders: What Not To Do at Office Parties. Yikes!

A recent Harris Interactive survey about office holiday parties found that:

• 49% saw flirtations with co-workers and supervisors.
• 47% heard a co-worker using excessive profanity
• 44% observed co-workers sharing inappropriate personal info about themselves or other colleagues.

And finally – some things you ABSOLUTELY do at your office holiday party!

1 — Mingle – it’s a great way to cement or establish work relationships

2 — Thank the party organizers – they probably spent a lot of time and effort pulling things together

3 — Try to relate to your boss – the atmosphere should be lighter, more cordial with no looming project deadlines getting in the way

4 — Introduce your spouse, date, friend, etc. – no one wants to be left out

5 — Stick around for a little while – leaving after 10 minutes does not look good

6 — Leave your phone in your pocket – not everything has to be documented and posted #whatevs #officeparty