I doubted for a long time whether I should start the new year with a heavy theme. Especially in January you should keep the topics light. But I decided to do it anyway because it concerns me, and that is that the drinks at work are disappearing.
The 'vrijmibo' had of course disappeared since corona – there is really no one in the office on Fridays these days. But just before the holidays I heard that even the Christmas drinks are under pressure, and even worse: that all work drinks are dying out!
Nowadays, people no longer feel like having to be 'forced to socialize with colleagues', they have to 'monitor their work-life balance', they would rather 'get ahead of the traffic jam', or play with their train in the attic, and so the boring thing goes. millennial complaining on and on. That seems like a disastrous development to me.
Because work drinks are 1: a source of strategic information that should not be underestimated, 2: the ideal opportunity to observe your manager in a relaxed setting, and 3: a challenging testing ground where you can experiment with your colleagues without immediately being fired. In fact, I owe my own glittering career entirely to networking drinks!
And so I thought it would be useful to give you some drinks training. Follow the tips and become a seasoned bubble tiger like me!
1. First of all: the networking drinks are not about alcohol, but about making strategic contacts.
In fact, you can have a great drink without alcohol. You also want to remember everything you said to the CEO, not that you have to read it on the intranet on Monday morning.
And yet I would advise eating a pancake before every drink – as a base. Because what do you do if you suddenly come face to face with the nice guy from sales and you accidentally down four glasses of wine? Precisely. You better be prepared.
2. Food is always your best friend at a drink.
Is there a buffet? That's absolutely perfect. Then you always have the excuse of “just getting something to eat” if you want to get rid of someone. Plus, it's hard to talk with a mouth full of mini quiches. A win-win situation.
3. Shaking off boring colleagues – this is how you do it.
I constantly hear people complain that they don't want to hear the stories of “Johan from IT about his caravan” – nonsense.
If you want to get rid of Johan, just say that you “could talk to him for hours, but now you have to get on with your life”, that you have to go to the toilet, or suggest having a drink together to go get it and then – “what a shame!” – get lost in the bustling crowd – that's it.
4. Therefore, make sure it is busy during a drink.
But really dying pressure. So agree to hang out with nice colleagues. Just as zebras move together to confuse predators, a swirling mass of sociability is the best camouflage. Another advantage of being busy is that it is difficult to understand. And you often only have to laugh to leave a crushing impression.
5. Always walk away from someone at the height of a conversation.
You're doing so many people a favor with that!
6. Every drink needs 'a good story'.
Think of vomiting in the office plant, fake karaokes, spontaneous fist fights or kissing at the copier. But you don't have to take on that duty every time. Agree with colleagues who will sacrifice themselves this time. Call it 'the anti-Bob' and make a schedule.
7. Provide a 'power moment'.
This is a visible meeting with a manager, preferably the top boss. This shows that you count and are someone to be reckoned with.
8. Never talk to your boss about work over drinks.
So no salary increases, inflation corrections or other work-related frustrations that you have been dealing with for a LONG TIME – the poor dear has to hear that from everyone.
9. Instead, do your research.
To hobbies, pets, children and other fetishes of your boss – “hey Ingrid, what did I hear, do you breed canaries?” Or talk about your worst work blunder. Laugh, and then you'll be a lot more comfortable the next time you've made an even bigger mistake.
10. And no, it's not scary to talk to your boss.
She won't kill you. And when that happens, you really have a good story (see point 6).
11. Go to drinks more often!
But really. The more you do, the better you will get at it. As if your private life is so exciting, too. You can always sit on your own boring couch.
12. And then a word for the people who don't go to work drinks because they 'have stupid colleagues'.
Dear people, if you have stupid colleagues, it is time for a new job. The work drinks are also indispensable in that respect: tell me how your drinks go and I will tell you whether you are on the right career path.
Let me know how it went!
#Networking #drinks #work #tips
