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Every year, at almost every corporate holiday event, there is ‘that person’ that everybody is talking about the next day- and I don’t mean in a good way. Many of us have seen several careers end at a company event. My advice is don’t let it be yours.
Several years ago when I was working at a large corporation as director of sales we had a big company gathering with my boss, my peers and all of our employees, totaling over 800 people. Our boss was a great guy that wanted to recognize our team for their hard work and let everybody have a little fun at the same time. So the event started and after a day of learning and motivational sessions, it was time to begin the festivities. About the middle of the evening, my boss and my 3 peers and I were sitting in a room talking about the night and our teams when my boss’s assistant comes in the room and says, “we have a small problem, there is an employee in the middle of the hotel bar throwing up”. I look at the group and said with 100% confidence, “it’s not one of my team members because before the event I gave them the pep talk about “what not to do” and that was definitely on the “what not to do” list”. I looked at my peer who was the ‘fun’ leader and known for being the ‘partier’ of the group and said, “Beetle, it must be one of yours, no surprise” while I snickered. The assistant immediately said, “no it is not one of Beetle’s people, in fact Nathan, she is one of yours”. My peers laughed as to say, look at that Mr. “I told my people”, but my boss was not laughing, he just looked at me and said “go handle it”
Needless to say, the person was extremely embarrassed for getting too drunk at the party and embarrassing herself and the team. This person was a great person as well as a great employee who just got caught up in the moment of having fun; too much fun. At the end of the day she was not fired or in any specific trouble but for the next couple of years she was known as “that girl” which in turn put a damper on further promotions or responsibilities. I think she will tell you that it was not worth it.
These issues happen too often. So here is some advice you may want to think about before you go out to your next holiday party.
Rules to ensure you are not one of ‘those guys’:
- The “two” rule…only have a maximum of two drinks- even if you think you have a high tolerance (if your tolerance is low stick to 1 or none).
- Don’t close the bar or be the last one to leave the party, if you do then there is a pretty good chance you broke rule 1.
- If you want to keep partying, then go with friends to a different place- away from the work event.
- Dress nice, but remember you are not going to a Vegas night club. Unlike Vegas- what happens at a work event goes everywhere.
- Have professional fun, something you would not mind everybody seeing or hearing about the next day- because they will.
- Never drink and drive. Not only is it illegal and dangerous, but it shows bad judgement. Not to mention if you find yourself calling your boss to bail you out of jail that night, you are sure to be ‘that guy’.
Lastly, I don’t share these tips with you as a person who has all the answers and who has never been ‘that guy’- in fact just the opposite. I won’t tell you everything I have done wrong, but let’s just say there are more than 6 rules I have broken over my last 26 years of corporate holiday parties. Like my father told me all my life, “you are going to have to learn the hard way”, and I did, but hopefully some of you will not. So go out, have fun, enjoy your family, friends and co-workers- but please try not to be ‘that guy’ or ‘that gal’!
Happy Holidays to you all!
