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I am open mouthed at some of the above post….
In one job I had it was actually raised, as a major negative, during my annual review that I did not socialise with my colleagues outside work. Suffice to say I went ballistic and it was never raised again.
Exactly Paul. And you did right thing… been there (to a lesser extent) myself. Offices where there is forced solicialising (and didnt ricky gervais get it just perfectly?) can be suffocating. In many ways, the least social offices i worked in have been the most relaxed
It’s our works do this afternoon .. I’m not going for all of the above reasons.
I would rather not bother.
I actually ended up enjoying myself; the food was good [and paid for ] and I had 2 free drinks; my problem is that I can chat about anything and everything to complete strangers when I’m out and about and I can chat to people at work when I’m at work..but when I’m with them but not in a work environment I just don’t know what to say….I guess I was never taught about social etiquette when I was growing up.
my problem is that I can chat about anything and everything to complete strangers
In other words, you are a pest
fair points
interestingly sales men are often quite independent and not great socialisers internally.
Got my doo tonight.
All the local builders, plasterers, chippies scaffolders and sparks are this year doing golf.
We all dress up as pimp looking golfers (I will be wearing white plus fore’s the diamond pringle jumper, white shoes and flat cap) and we are going to try and get 18 holes in. Thats a pint in 18 different pubs.
Last year we did fishing. Got a bit messy when my waders got full up with beer and crisps.Its a simple old fashioned night of beer, fun and we always finish with a traditional christmas curry.
The best one was a few years back we did a doctors and nurses theme. Not one bloke turned up dressed as a doctor.
I suppose its one of the benefits of being self employed. You can do what you want.
Must dash. Have to do my hair!!!
I actually ended up enjoying myself; the food was good [and paid for ] and I had 2 free drinks; my problem is that I can chat about anything and everything to complete strangers when I’m out and about and I can chat to people at work when I’m at work..but when I’m with them but not in a work environment I just don’t know what to say….I guess I was never taught about social etiquette when I was growing up.
I’m the opposite. Loosen me up with a couple of glasses of wine and I’ll talk the hind leg of the proverbial. My mates make it their mission to get me tiddly every time to see what secrets I’ll reveal……..
trouble is I was driving so only drank orange juice; made a mental note to get a taxi next time..however I do tend to only go to works do’s every other year to avoid that awful feeling that it was only yesterday that I was there before; life tends to speed up when you get older and cunning plans have to be devised to slow the process down…[doesn’t apply to going racing however as years can’t go fast enough between Cheltenham and Aintree!}
Work Christmas dinners….a few recollections from my leaving speech a couple of years ago.
I got promoted and became the Environmental Health’s accountant; I’m now going to come clean. I have to apologise to the entire Finance Directorates staff, well those who were here then. In those days the whole of the Finance Directorate would “team bond” and go for a Christmas dinner on mass. One day about September time I happened to notice some jars on an EHO’s desk. Out of curiosity I asked what they were for and he showed me. They were all labelled, Exhibit A, Exhibit B etc. I was told not to tell anyone, these contained evidence collected from the County Hotel’s kitchen and we were taking the County Hotel to court for Food offences. Amazingly later that very morning when I arrived back in the Accountancy office the secretary was in there collecting the names of those members of staff who would be going on the next Finance dinner, and yes, you have guessed it, the venue was to be the County Hotel. I quietly said I would not be attending that year but said nothing to anyone else.
Anyway, nobody died following the dinner so I guess the hotel had been cleaned up OK.
One day one December I went into the Health dept to find hardly anyone was there. I found the then Head of Service, Steve, in his office and he told me that most of the staff was at their Christmas lunch. I sat down to talk to Steve. Not long had passed and the phone rang. Steve picked it up and I could hear this enormous racket coming from the phone. Then I could hear Eric (Steves Deputy) shouting loudly over the din. “Steve, Steve, It’s your round Steve”. I guess they could have heard it in Nairobi.
Steve just didn’t seem to know what to do, It was brilliant, Eric had really caught him out, he just about managed to reply, “Oh alright, hmm, yes, Eric get a round in and I’ll settle up with you later”.
I’m not sure how far you can stretch “later”… maybe Eric will get the money one day.The Health dept invited me to a couple of their Christmas dinners; I shall never forget the sight of Big Chief Eric wearing his Indian headdress on one of these occasions, or being introduced to the then Chair of the Committee as “the accountant who actually does the work, as opposed to the one who comes to the committee meetings”.
A year or so later I went for a Christmas meal with the section I worked in. We hadn’t been in the Taj Mahal long, when in through the door came Mike wearing his bright luminous jacket, dirty gloves, hardhat and muddied work boots. He greeted us quite cheerfully “Hello you lot, don’t mind me, I’m just here to check the drains, we’ve got a sewer block out there”…I gave up going to Office Christmas dinners after that. My advice is, in future check with the EHO’s first before you book anything.
life tends to speed up when you get older
That is the truest statement anyone has posted on this forum in the time I have been here.
This year, in particular, has flown by so quickly I really do not know where it has gone.
Wow what a load of misanthropes on this forum!
Yes my socialising with my co-workers (including at Christmas parties) is enforced, and our conversation is often superficial, but I realise that my co-workers have probably made the same observations – we all know this – so rather than staying inside and moaning, I think we all (unspeakingly) agree to compromise – we don’t all need to be bestest friends to make conversation for a few hours, have a laugh – and that way we can drink all of the free booze that we get at these things.
I think the smoothest conversationalists, the friendliest people, are often those who are perceptive enough to realise that it (socialising in general) is often a sham and therefore don’t have any unrealistic expectations about it.
Good point! Yes it should all be taken in the spirit in which is was intended, a good chance to get out, dress up in a posh frock and have a laugh. Don’t have high expectations about the food, or the company, just eat, drink and be merry
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