Make the office party work for you

Cape Town - Office parties sometimes end in career disaster - that’s when stories circulate about improper approaches to the opposite sex, excessive drinking and unguarded comments to the boss.

Less well known is the office party’s potential for career enhancement, says Auguste Coetzer, director of executive search at Talent Africa, an alliance of Korn Ferry.

“It takes planning, but it is possible for smart, career-focused executives to enjoy these events and meet important goals,” she says.

“You simply need to approach the office party as you would any other corporate activity. You always prepare for big client presentations, and similar preparation for the annual shindig turns it into a career opportunity as well as fun.”

Here are nine tips on purposeful partying:

Dress to impress: Make sure you know what the dress code is and dress appropriately. Informal or party wear may be allowed, but don’t go overboard.

Be prepared: Have handy conversational topics ready. Try to foresee ticklish situations, such as meeting a colleague who missed the promotion you got, and have a response ready.

Manage your time: Make time for the function, don’t “squeeze it in” or treat it as a waste of time. Arrive promptly. Being fashionably late shows disrespect for others and positions you as a snob or a killjoy.

Moderation in everything: Join in and loosen up, but don’t over-indulge. It may be an open bar, and the chairman or chief executive may have encouraged guests to make full use of it, but exercise a little restraint.

Mingle: Don’t just chat to immediate colleagues or schmooze the boss. Also chat to junior personnel and those from other departments. Show a genuine interest in people.

Be positive: Don’t be a scandal-monger, don’t gossip, never whine and don’t talk behind anyone’s back. Find something nice to say – about people, the company and the past year.

Be friendly and courteous: Make sure others are not excluded. Practise your listening skills. Show interest in others. Never monopolise the conversation. Don’t always talk shop. Show you have other facets to your character and other interests.

Network, but discreetly: A corporate event allows you to strengthen or enlarge your personal network.

Chat to a broad range of guests and colleagues, even make time for those you may not like.

Have fun: But never go overboard. Show you’re human. Don’t show your wild side.

After the event, carry out a self-appraisal. If you performed well, you contributed to the firm’s talent retention strategy by ensuring junior colleagues feel valued, you showed you can socialise with a diverse range of people, you networked and you entrenched your personal positioning as an approachable, interesting person.

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