Ahhh, the Holiday Party. That time honored ritual where large groups of employees get together, often under the influence of alcohol, and party like it’s 1999.
Some companies throw amazing, unforgettable Holiday Parties. Others through parties reminiscent of Russian Gulags—not you, of course. Your parties are awesome but you hear horror stories, right?
The thing is…Holiday Parties can be fantastic chances to cut loose, let your hair down a little and have a lot of fun.
They can also resemble landmines and unfortunately, the topics of conversation people choose to gravitate toward can absolutely steer a party in one direction or another.
All that to say, if you’re interested in having a fun, enjoyable, memorable party rather than a miserable one, here are three topics (in their order of importance) that you definitely want to stay away from this year.
The #1 Topic To Avoid: Work
Yes, it’s a work party but it’s not supposed to be a network function. It’s supposed to be down time. Time away from work. Time not spent working, talking about working, planning to work, or thinking about work. Just…don’t talk about work. Consider it a taboo subject for the evening.
The thing is, it’s contagious, so once you start talking about, pretty soon, everybody will be talking about it and then you’ll be remembered as the person who completely ruined this year’s Holiday Party. That’s not a title you want, so steer clear of this topic.
The #2 Topic To Avoid: Politics
This is (was) an election year. Some people are going to be thrilled at the outcome. Others, not so much.
It really doesn’t matter which side of the political debate you’re on, this is a hot topic because politics is an extremely divisive topic in recent years. Unless you want to get arrested for starting a brawl at the office party, leave this one alone too.
The #3 Topic to Avoid: Gaza
Religion in general should be a non-starter but this topic is pure poison. Again, it doesn’t really matter which side of the issue you find yourself on, rest assured that someone at the party is going to be on the other side, and if it comes up, the discussion is going to get heated.
Just don’t go there. Don’t take the chance. Holiday parties are supposed to be fun! They’re supposed to be times when you laugh, and maybe have a little something to drink, and play silly games and get fun prizes like our incredibly popular stress relievers.
Don’t turn the party into something it was never meant to be. Everyone will thank you.