3 Office Halloween Tips
It all starts a few weeks before Halloween. Your company or department begins planning the first of many holiday celebrations to come over the next 61-days (and counting). It’s all a bit overwhelming for some, but, before you run and hide, consider this advice to navigate through the Halloween office festivities. Your efforts will help to build important relationships with co-workers and may actually be less painful than you imagined.
1. DO participate in the company costume event. I know you are probably cringing at this suggestion and inwardly, that’s okay. However, outwardly, you’ll need to suit up. The knee-jerk reaction when the company or department announces Halloween costume festivities is to run in the opposite direction. But, funny enough, you will have a good time once you let down your guard. If you’re short on ideas, the smart and fashionable folks over at Popsugar have a bunch of SFW costume ideas from Carmen San Diego to Scully and Mulder. The best part is these costumes require very little work and your everyday office attire will incorporate nicely with some embellishments.
2. Bring something memorable to the potluck. I know, it’s so tempting to run by the gas station on your way to work and buy a couple of bags of chips for the potluck, but resist temptation. The “chip-bringer” label is something you should avoid if at all possible. Instead, if you’re short on time, grab a nice container from home–preferably something made of glass. Run into your local grocer and grab some brownies, cupcakes or something savory from the deli and put it into your container. Voila! Your meager effort will elevate your potluck stature to a whole new level. Who knows, losing the “chip-bringer” title could do wonders for your career.
3. Volunteer for something. We know, you’re entirely too busy doing real work to make time for any office Halloween silliness such as helping to plan or execute the festivities. Those few hours spent doing just that allows for developing new relationships. Suddenly those strangers’ faces you pass in the hall are now names such as Janice in accounting and Mike from operations. These key individuals can bridge the gap when a piece of your current project puzzle is missing and you need some inside help from other departments. Likewise, you’ll also be more willing to lend a hand when they need your future assistance.
Halloween at the office is the harbinger for the rest of the holiday festivities which last through December 31st. It’s time to put on your happy-face and join in on these important team-building occasions. It’s not necessary to be the holiday maniac, however, if you refuse to participate you may risk alienating your co-workers and destroying your career. Now, go and put on some zombie make-up–but wait for the party!
