An office holiday party does not resemble any other party. The attendants have to ensure that they maintain a high level of discipline, including ensuring that the office budget is in check, despite the need for fun. During the party, one should understand that their behavior can, or may, appear in their periodical appraisal. How does one throw a memorable office party?

i. Expectations relating to an office party

One of the expectations of an office party is fun. Even though there are behavioral and budgetary caps, an office holiday party should boost the morale of the employees, and increase employees’ satisfaction and retention levels. Thus, an office party offers a great opportunity for the company and also employees.

When planning for an office holiday party, one should observe a series of basic office party planning principles. Before holding the event, one should set up the date of the event, come up with the theme of the party, identify the number of the expected attendants, and come up with a list of food and drinks to be served during the event.

ii. The dos and don’ts of an office party

One of the dos of an office party is showing up. Sometimes it is tempting to turn down the invitation, but attendance to an office party is mandatory. If the absence is inevitable, then one should send regrets soon after receiving an invitation.

One should also keep time during an office party. Arrival and departure from the party should be on time. It is inappropriate to show up at the last minute just to make an appearance.

Never show up in the company of a friend. However, some companies allow guests. It is important to check the company policy on guests before attending an office party.

Your dressing code during an office party should portray a professional image. Wearing skimpy and revealing clothes during the party can ruin one’s reputation. If in doubt on the clothes to wear during the party, then inquire from the human resource department about the dressing code.

Never discuss office politics during an office party. Light-hearted topics should dominate the discussion. Thus one should avoid personal discussions and any work-related complaints.

iii. How one’s conduct during an office party can affect their workplace credibility

Bad conduct during an office party can have negative effects on one’s career prospects. Such conduct hurts one’s professional image thus lowering advancement possibilities. One should keenly adhere to company policies during an office party.

iv. How to maintain a positive behavior during an office party

Never take too much alcohol. Some companies have a cap on the amount of alcohol that one should take during an office party. In the absence of the cap, one should limit alcohol intake during an office party. The move helps in maintaining rational behavior during the party.

Avoid office party romance. Some colleagues can look more appealing under the party light, but one should practice restraint. Getting kinky during an office party can result in disastrous outcomes.

Stay reserved during an office party. Sometimes one can act embarrassingly given that the venue of the party is different from the workplace settings. However, one should remember that the boss is watching.

One should also keep the behavior of the guest in check during an office party. The guest’s loose behaviors can also hurt one’s office reputation. One should inform the guest about the behavior expectations during an office party.

v. What to do in an instance when things run overboard

One should know what to do after causing embarrassment during an office party. The first thing to do is to report to work despite a temptation to call in sick. However, one should not appear drunk. One should also ask a recap of the events from a colleague and ensure that social media is clean about the issue. Lastly, one should apologize to the boss and any colleague that took offense.

In conclusion, one should practice restraint during an office holiday party. The move helps in safeguarding the professional image. If any embarrassment occurs during the party, then one should make efforts to restore her workplace credibility.