Any advice for work holiday party do's and don'ts?

Kevin says: 

“Sweet fancy Moses!”

This question makes me think of that episode of “Seinfeld” where Elaine Benes hosts the J. Peterman holiday party. No one at her office ever forgot her dance performance from that evening. And that’s what you should consider when deciding how to comport yourself at your office holiday party --- embarrass yourself at your professional peril.

Do

• Conduct yourself professionally at all times. Act as though your behavior is being observed every minute (because it probably is).
• Remember that moderation is paramount. Keep an eye on your food and alcohol intake. (You can always eat and drink more after the party.)
• Keep one hand free during the night so that you can shake hands when necessary. (Keep your drink in your left hand, so you are not offering people a cold, wet handshake all evening.) Better yet, learn the “carry your wineglass on your plate” trick --- useful in many social situations!
• Take the time to network with people at the party who can influence your career or who you may not see regularly, such as top management, people from other departments, and employees from other locations. Also, do remember that some of those people who can influence your career may be on professional rungs LOWER than yours --- secretaries, administrative assistants, executive assistants, admins in human resources. You never know who can assist you down the road!

 Don't

• Don't pass up the invitation to an office party; not attending could hurt your reputation. Even if you can’t stay the whole time because of a previous commitment (or you simply don’t want to be there!), spend at least 30 minutes at the party, networking and wishing everyone a happy holiday.
• Don't assume everyone celebrates the same holiday, so don't go overboard with the “Merry Christmas.”
• Don't spend all evening talking business.
• Don't drink and drive

Beth says:  I have very little to add except this little pearl o' wisdom!  Inevitably there will be someone at a holiday party whose name you don't know.  My husband and I have a code where if I simply say, "This is my husband!" he then reaches out a hand and says his name so that the person then naturally says their own.  


We also have codes for "Please rescue me!", "Let's get out of here!" and "This is that person I told you about that I hate!"