Office Etiquette for the Holidays!

Proper behavior in business settings can be a scary topic. It takes a long time to become completely comfortable with clients and colleagues. Then December comes along and businesspeople are expected to share greetings through holiday cards, gift buying, luncheons and cocktail parties. Whether you’ve just landed an entry-level office job, operate on the front lines with people who use your company’s product or service, run your own business, or hold any other position that involves maintaining business relationships, these tasks can seem overwhelming. They seem overwhelming because you don’t know the answers to questions like, “What do I wear?” “Who do I bring?” “Should I give a gift?” “Do I have to go?” There are too many opportunities to do the wrong thing! However, there are two guiding principles: treat each business contact as though he were the most important person in the world and always maintain your professionalism in all business settings. To assist you in interacting under these principles, here are five subjects to think about as you enjoy the holiday season with your colleagues and clients.

1. Gift Giving in the Office - Typically, gifts are given “down.” In other words, senior people give to their subordinates or the individuals who report directly to them. But, be aware of the particular gift-giving customs in your own business environment. If you are new, ask around. Often a supervisor will treat his or her staff to a holiday lunch. When gifts are exchanged, they should not be of a personal nature. It is not expected that an employee give to his supervisor. If an employee chooses to give his supervisor a gift, it should just be a “token” gift, perhaps holiday cookies or candy. It is also not necessary to exchange gifts with coworkers. However, if you are invited to someone’s home for a holiday party, bring a gift such as a box of chocolates, a bottle of wine or a holiday plant. If you host a holiday party, acknowledge any gift you receive with a thank you note.

2. Client Gift Giving and Holiday Cards – Everyone loves to receive presents, especially your clients. They will remember you and what you sent them. Choose your gift carefully and select one that is a reflection of your organization’s style and taste. Also, give thought and time to the cards you send. Make sure they are of good quality and reflect your company’s image and personality. Address them by hand. Yes, this is time consuming, but well worth it. Use holiday stamps and imprint the cards with your name as well as the company name. Also, add a hand-written, personalized note using a blue, fountain pen.

3. Respecting Cultural and Religious Differences - It is appropriate to wish everyone season’s greetings during the holiday season. If you are unsure of a person’s religious traditions and would like to acknowledge the holiday season, it is appropriate to simply say “Happy Holidays.” If you know that a colleague celebrates Hanukkah, both “Happy Holidays” and “Happy Hanukkah” are proper holiday greetings. Since gifts are also exchanged during Hanukkah, a present may be given if an office gift exchange is taking place. If you work in a small office setting, make sure that the differences are respected and no one feels left out. That goes for decorations, parties, gifts etc. Be particularly careful when exchanging gifts with your international clients. You may not be aware, for instance, that sending a clock to a Chinese client is bad luck and the way in which a gift for a Japanese client is wrapped is as important as the gift itself.

4. Holiday Parties – You will most likely find yourself invited to a number of different types of holiday gatherings. Your boss may have a weekend open house and you may be asked to attend with a guest. You also could be asked to a company cocktail party. It is not important that you go to each event. What is important is that you know which ones you should go to and which ones you can skip. In general, when your boss, or a senior person, invites you to a social occasion, you should attend, if only for a brief time. Senior management sometimes assesses one’s conduct during social occasions to determine who is suitable for career advancement. Also, you should use the opportunity to network with your co-workers. If the gathering is after work, and the invitation does not indicate otherwise, wear your business attire. Your responsibility as a guest is to make a point of talking with as many people as you can – especially the ones you don’t know. Ask these people more questions about themselves than you share information about yourself.

If you are hosting a holiday party, remember that it is inappropriate to extend a social invitation to a superior before he has extended one to you. That means, when you are planning your party, extend your invitation to those at your level or below. Send invitations to your co-workers home. This avoids the confusion that comes with verbal invitations, like what time it begins, the address etc. Also, if your party is on the weekend, you should invite your co-workers spouse. Most people prefer to spend their weekends with their families and will not want to leave them to attend a holiday party. As the host of the gathering it is your job to make everyone feel comfortable. Another commonly made business etiquette faux pas is to talk only about business during social occasions. To avoid this, draw the partners of your co-workers into the conversations. Find out about their lives and interests and make them feel welcome.

5. Maintaining Professionalism – Business Relationships are all about establishing rapport and rapport is developed in social settings. Although rapport building takes place all year on the golf course, over meals, and during receptions, much of it takes place during the holidays. Resist the temptation to hang out with the office crowd at the company party. Use the opportunity to network and get to know others in your organization. If you are one of the many adults who have a hard time mixing and mingling, there are a few things you can do to make yourself more comfortable. When you enter a room, look for a person who may be open to having a conversation with you. Look for someone who is alone or groups of three or more. Interrupting two people in the middle of a conversation is not a good idea. If you don’t know anyone, be honest. Admit it, state your name and offer a handshake. Ask questions of the person and be genuinely interested in what she has to say. Spend ten or fifteen minutes with each person or group of persons. Exit the group tactfully by excusing yourself immediately after you have spoken rather than after someone else has finished speaking. If a buffet is served, don’t heap mounds of food on your plate and never eat directly from the table. Take a reasonable size portion and go back for seconds if you wish.

Last, but not least, how much should you drink? Making a fool of yourself at the company party is not something you can recover from easily. So the answer is, once you start to feel the effects of alcohol, you probably have had too much. Once you lose control, and the alcohol begins to control you, you no longer appear professional. You lose all credibility and you’ve made a mistake that’s hard to fix. It’s just not worth it. If you have a hard time determining what your limit is, stick to soft drinks.

Contact us for Business Etiquette Training and Business Etiquette Training Materials 973-857-6200 etiquette@corbyoconnor.com



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