Any office party can be challenging, but holiday office parties are particularly stressful. After all, the season brings a set of demands—including the need to be “merry and bright” when you may not feel that way. To survive this end-of-year event (and to use it to advance your career), here are three strategies that will work wonders.
1. Use Holiday Parties as a Chance to Get to Know New People
There are good reasons to circulate broadly at your next holiday party and not to hang out with people you already know.
Clustering with friends can lead to excessive drinking, and with that comes danger to your health and safety. Staying with your pals or people you work closely with also means you won’t broaden your circle of colleagues and that you just might miss an opportunity to get to know someone who could influence your career.
Hanging out with people you know often leads to banter about how terrible the party is and how much you dislike these holiday events. This grumbling does not become you or your pals.
Instead of staying with your inner circle, use the gathering as an occasion to get to know new staffers or people you may not come in contact with during the workweek. If you do, you will be showing leadership—for it is a mark of a leader to know how to build relationships.
And by seeking out unfamiliar faces and befriending them, you will show that you have the ability to help people who may be feeling holiday anxiety or loneliness. Indeed, a study by the American Psychological Association shows that 54% of American adults feel isolated, 50% feel left out, and 50% say they lack companionship. All these signs of loneliness peak during the holidays.
2. Talk to People Who Might Be Able to Help You Advance Your Career
You will find influential people at holiday parties, so seek them out. They could include your boss or the head of your department or invited guests. Approach them and have something warm to say, without feeling that you are “kissing up.”
