According to a recent study, the number one reason people attend their company's office party is to socialize with their co-workers. Some who are normally reserved at work see office parties as an opportunity to step outside of their comfort zone and make connections. Others are not so excited to schmooze in a social setting because they don't know what to say their boss or others they barely know. If you're in the latter category, try out these tips to bring holiday cheer!
Deck the hall with a greeting: Say "Hi, my name is _______ " while smiling. Keep in mind that many people feel just as nervous as you do in an office event. You will see people you may never have had more than a brief coffee with who will be thrilled you started a conversation. You may not recall your co-worker's name, but initiating conversation puts you on will start you off on the right foot. Remember to smile to send a signal that you are happy to be in their presence and break the ice! You can use humor to break the initial awkwardness of speaking with an acquaintance.
In the absence of knowing what to say, it's good practice to share positive feelings about the party. This makes it easy for others to join in and add their thoughts. Keep it positive with comments like, "I love coming to the holiday party as it gives us a chance to connect" or "It is nice we get a chance to communicate outside of the office!" State how you feel in your own words.
Use wait time to see how the person you are speaking to responds. For example, are they looking at their phone or at you? If someone is looking at you while you are talking it would be great to keep the conversation going with an open ended question like, "what kinds of things are you doing over the holidays?" and then a follow up question after they respond like, "Wow, you are going snowboarding? Sounds nice! How long have you been doing that?" before bidding them well wishes and moving on to a new guest. If they look like they are not paying attention to you, it may be a good idea to cut the conversation short and move on to another guest to talk with.
A holiday party is your opportunity to have fun and get to know your colleagues a little better. Meeting and talking to your colleagues opens the world to finding things in common you may never have imagined, making it well worth the effort. Do you have suggestions for making the best of the annual office Christmas party? I'd love to hear from you. Share a comment below, or respond on this post on social media.