Using Corporate Social Events to Network with People in Your Company

Working for a company does not necessarily mean strictly business relationships with your colleagues and supervisors. It is true that you must put on a certain mask at work and there are moments when you cannot be yourself when talking to your boss or a co-worker that you are supposed to collaborate with; after all you are there to perform for the benefit of the company, not to socialize with your peers.

However, there are certain occasions when co-workers get together off-work, either at the department to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas and other important days of the year or outside the building for a company picnic. These moments are always welcome for several reasons and you should not miss any of them.

First of all, they are offered by the management and out of respect every employee should be there. If you have chosen or have been chosen to work for the company, it’s your moral duty to take part in every event that your manager has arranged for his people. This is his way to thank you for your services in the firm and your way to show how much you appreciate it.

Besides common sense which drives you into such opportunities to socialize with your colleagues and management, there are other reasons why people never miss them. Social events like that are good occasions for people to take off their corporate suits and show their true self. Their behavior becomes less formal and they have a better chance to get to know each other and why not make friends with each other. The pressure of daily work is gone and, since the clock is no longer ticking on the wall, they can take their time to approach their co-workers in a much friendlier manner and to much more easily form a bond.

A social event may also give you the opportunity to talk to your boss, which otherwise does not happen unless he calls for you to discuss things that exclusively refer to your job, performance or the goals of the company. Actually, such discussion topics may come up at a social event as well but the language register can be a bit different and if you feel more comfortable with your ‘superior’ you may help him ‘read’ you more easily and possibly like you more. This may even bring about a promotion at work, so let’s not underestimate the value of such social gatherings.

You probably know that there are jokes that you cannot tell or make at a client meeting whereas at a corporate social event they bring a bit of color and relax the atmosphere. Take advantage of such moments to show how funny you can be and also watch the rest of your colleagues to see them in a different light. Many of them will be a lot more amusing than you could have imagined. Even those stiff and far too formal supervisors may prove to be good story-tellers and quite nice company.

Corporate social events are excellent occasions in which you can discover the most amazing facets of someone’s personality and uncover your true self as well.

Dan Walker is a Human Resources professional and a contributor for The Financial Citizen