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I've labelled the subject 'Time to Party!' oppossed to your podcast title 'Time to Party?'.

I feel that a party, wether it is hosted by freinds, your company, or both - it is just that - a party - not work.

Some of your points I did agree with, such as:

Attend!
Keep yourself relatively sober and do not become a pompous ass
Let your spouse / partner be free and do not place rules on them
Update your resume
No kissing fellow employees
Be sociable!
Thanking the host.

However, others such as:

No dancing
Physical contact restricted to hanshakes
Leave your spouse / partner at home
The party is still work

I feel are confining and restricting the freedoms that we enjoy as human beings.

There are so many rules and restrictions now in the actual workplace that many of our freedoms are have been reduced - either out of protection of the innocent or, more likely than not, due to sheer fear that someone may cross the line by hurting someones feelings, or making them feel uncomfortable.

This creates what one enlightend person termed 'A Nerf World' where everyone is so afraid of making a mistake or hurting someone's feelings, or looking like the black sheep, that nobody takes any risks.

It is important to remember your audience, just as you would act differently in front of your grandma from your softball teammates, you should also act appropriately around your fellow employees, on and off the job site.

However, for myself, I feel that a party is a party and should be treated as such.

Enjoy!

MikeK's picture

Flood,

I tend to agree with you. I certainly understand where Mark's strictness can come from but I think it is moreso with larger companies.

In my small company, 50 or so, we work together and become VERY close. Many of my colleagues are GREAT friends with not only me, but also my wife, as we regularly get together outside of work. So, our company social events and parties are ALWAYS very welcoming to spouses and it is quite normal to leave work at work, and really be together as friends and have a great time.

Do some people take this too far? Certainly. Generally though, it hasn't happened much. We all know each other well.

Anyway, good podcast, some new tips I hadn't thought of, however, for my work events, I'll certainly be attending with my wife still.

Mark's picture
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We're like the guy in the passenger seat who says, "sure, the river AVERAGES only 3 feet deep all the way across. But right in the middle there, it's 100 feet deep. Exercise your freedoms as you see fit... but can we get out first before you drive across?"

sholden's picture
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It is sad but true, I'd get more grief if I didn't bring my wife to a company function since frankly she is more popular than me.

Great podcast topic though. I think the idea of coming to a company function all planned out on how you are going to interact with senior mgmt you run into at the function is a definitely a golden nugget.

I've benefited greatly by having that as a part of my pre-function prep in the past and part of all my future planning.

Steve