When partying at workplace

Partying at workplace

Parties at the workplace can be a tricky area to navigate. We've always been told not to mix our office lives with the afterhours fun. But falling into the grey area between work and play are office parties. It is important to be seen at office parties, even if only for some time. Don't show up and you could be seen as a spoilsport and uptight. Besides, you may miss out on an excellent opportunity to network!

Time it right

Your office is organising a party on Friday night. You can think of a million better ways to spend that time. So, how important is it to attend the party? Very important. Tempting as it may be to feign illness or other commitments, the loss will be only your own. Office parties are a chance to network and bond with others from the organisation. As we all know, knowing the right people is critical to organisational growth today.

Networking wise

Speak to different people, especially those from departments other than your own. This is perhaps the best chance to get to know some of your colleagues in a causal, relaxed setting. Make an effort to speak to spouses of colleagues. An office party is one of the few occasions when people let their guard down at the workplace and are willing to mingle and joke about. The entire mood is light and laidback. The usual office rules don't apply and everyday dynamics are suspended. Speak to new people; don't stick to the colleagues you already know well. Try to strike up a good conversation with your superiors as well.

Avoid excesses

Stick within generally accepted limits of decency and appropriateness. Avoid excesses - alcohol or food. While the open bar and delicious buffet line may be extremely tempting, control your urges. It is also not okay to dance on the table, however well you may dance. While you may be remembered as the star of the party, it may prevent the management from taking you seriously in the future. Remember, you are always being watched. You are in the same room as the senior management and your boss' boss. Have fun, but be level headed about it. A good workplace reputation is built slowly and steadily over time but easily destroyed.

Conversation capers

Don't forget the best way to strike up a conversation - making eye contact with the person and smiling. The usual rules of conversational etiquette apply here too. Stay clear of controversial areas like religion, politics and gender. While humour always works, jokes that may be offensive should also be avoided. When I first started working and going for office parties, I was always unsure what to talk about, especially since I was so junior. I then hit upon the secret to any successful office party conversation: ask the right questions and let the other person talk. Everyone likes an interested audience!

Extend the conversation beyond office work and current deadlines. Talk about common interests and passions like sports, music or movies. Once you establish some sort of common ground, you will always have something to share with that colleague even during the everyday office routine.

Dressing diaries

Dressing for an office party is often a sticky question. You don't want to look underdressed, nor do you want to be the office Christmas tree. Collaborate with a few other colleagues, so you all dress to a similar level. Avoid jarring colours or designs that expose too much skin. Make an effort to dress up and look nice. The entire point of an office party is to get noticed. Ask yourself, would your CEO be more likely to chat with a well-presented employee or one who is shabby and indifferent?

An office party can be a great time to further relationships at the workplace. If used wisely to connect with the right people, it may the best thing that ever happened to your career.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times

Can colleagues be friends?

Friends at Office

Your best friend has got a new job and now he is your teammate at work. But wait is it really a reason to rejoice? It is often said that when you mix your personal and professional life, things get a little difficult to handle. So, can your workplace attract fair weather friends? Or will the political undercurrents run it down? 

It's a little tricky situation as at one point of time you are treading on delicate ground, and in the other you are like soul mates. When friends become colleagues, many often tend to mix up the two. That's where they go wrong. If you have had a heated argument at work, leave it inside the four walls of your office. Don't let it affect your personal relationship with the person.

I had a friend in my subordinate. My ideas and thoughts never matched. I wasn't even satisfied with the way he executed his work and this led to a lot of arguments and fights. Also, he never considered me as his boss so didn't take my orders seriously which again would lead to a tilt. But once we were out of office we made sure we didn't carry the differences back home.

Many feel that making friends at office will make the work life enjoyable. Making friends at office for me is very important. It helps me perform better as the atmosphere is very clam and less stressful with people who know and understand you. Bad relationships with colleagues hamper your work and can turn a workplace into a nightmare. Of course you cannot get along with everyone at work and there will be an occasional prickly co-worker, but there's little you can do about that.


It is easy to end up as friends in an office set up. Most people do not wish to mix their professional and personal life. It's surprising for me as colleagues are the people with whom you spend the maximum time. So, how can you not turn them into your confidantes?

The reason is cut-throat competition. We are in such a competitive atmosphere that we find it really risky to be friends with someone from our own team. Sharing my personal details or even what I am going through professionally I feel might be used against me. So I consider it 'safe' not to have colleagues as friends but I do not mind making friends with people from other teams. Earlier in my professional life I have faced instances where a friend turned foe. Jealousy and nasty behaviour made our relationship sour. So now I make friends at work provided we are from different teams as misunderstandings are inevitable. There is little you can do about frenemies. Whether it's your friend who is now your colleague or vice versa, one needs to be a tad careful.

Courtesy: TOI