It’s holiday season time and once again employees old and new, senior and junior need to mix good cheer
with good sense.

Over the years, I’ve attended holiday parties that have been a mix of the good, the bad and the ugly. To wit:

– one employee becoming totally inebriated while the rest of us watched in horror
– a consultant slinging back mud slides and then wobbling around our hallways, insulting women near and far
– one employee so smashed he literally couldn’t pull himself off the floor
– a senior executive attempting to make a speech, but being so blasted he forgot what he was saying, stopped and walked away into the night
– an intern flashing the magic finger at Ed not once, but twice
– various employees breaking down and crying
– dirty dancing, groping, fondling and hooking up

We’ve also had great themed parties, including one that featured a murder mystery and another with a magician performing various tricks.

Holiday parties can be a great bonding experience. But, they can also do a number on one’s reputation and career path. The best advice I’ve heard is to party hard, but party wisely. The image you save may be your own.

Thanks to Debrah Hussey for the idea.