Focuses on the training and development needs of admin professionals and features topics such as hard skills (software competencies, writing, communication, filing) and soft skills (teamwork, time management, leadership).
Issue link: https://digital.hrreporter.com/i/1051100
DECEMBER 2018 4 Six rules of the digital-era holiday office party By Julie Blais Comeau Every holiday office party has at least one incident all will remember, that could have been avoided with a refresher of the dos and don'ts of the digital era. "What's different than the groovy sixties, or discoing seventies?" One big difference. Back then, if one was a little tip - sy, sat on the printer or put a lampshade on her head, the evidence would be posted on the lunchroom's bulletin board. If she got in there early enough the next day, she could remove it and shred it, before big boss came in. Ouf! That was close. These days, a single click! can go viral. 1) Attend. It is not a choice, go. The most important word in Holiday Office Party is…? Office. Introduce yourself to new colleagues. Cel - ebrate the successes of your superiors. Network with team members in other departments. Shine and build relationships. 2) Put your phone away. The Holiday Office Party is about real face time, not the Apple kind. Unless you are a lifeline to someone, turn it off. 3) Participate, as on a tv reality series called "Get the promotion or the contract." Be a good sport; sing along and do what organizers have planned. Keep in mind that the voting audience is: your clients, your Big Boss and HR. All you say and do counts, no matter how dim the lights are. 4) Dress without the four Bs. As on Casual Fridays, do not put on Beach, Bar, Boudoir or Barbell (gym) wear. Doubts about what to wear? Ask or seek clues from the location and the time of day. Acces - sories help to transition from professional to party wear. Beware of "just for fun." You wearing antlers, a red nose or a Mrs. Claus sweater can be a hard for your boss to forget while writing your perfor- mance appraisal. 5) Two may be one too many. It may be open bar, but you don't want to open up your wounds and woes. Eat a snack before you go and subtly switch from drinks to water. 6) Show gratitude. When leaving, thank organizers and superiors. Send an email the next day. Happy holidays and party like it is being insta - grammed, posted and Youtubed. Julie Blais Comeau is Chief Etiquette Officer at etiquettejulie. com, a firm dedicated to teaching the interpersonal skills necessary to professional success: client service, business etiquette, international protocol and cultural intelligence. She is a professional speaker, author and media collaborator. Book Julie for your next training activity julie@etiquettejulie.com and shine at work while boosting ubiness. directors, depending on the sector and organization. Consider, then, the impact that ongoing exposure to a diverse group of high achievers and their practices can have on not only your career trajectory, but also your development in general. I mention peer networks because I consider them to be among an assis- tant's most valuable assets. Approach your networks from a perspective of reciprocal knowledge exchange and support, and you can't go wrong. When I became what's now known as a governance professional, I didn't shake off any of my existing networks. Rather, picture a series of ripples in a pond. That's how I think of my vari- ous circles of contacts, or networks. While different connections took shape at different stages of my career, and while some have only peripheral commonalities with others, each person and each professional associa- tion has contributed to the person I've become. If you decide to venture forward on the governance career path, you'll find additional individuals and profession- al associations who will strengthen your ability to succeed in supporting a board. You just need to make sure that you give back, as I hope I have to the individuals and associations who've impacted me. When I made the shift from work- ing with executives who prepare board deliverables to being the person who collects and assembles all those deliverables, I did so with a sense of confidence that this needn't be a one- way street. Governance is a demand- ing yet rewarding career. Depending on the employer and whether you're the sole governance employee or part of a secretariat, you may find that a career as a governance professional generates a more lucrative compensa- tion plan than traditional EA roles. Compensation aside, consider those ripples I mentioned earlier as you contemplate the words of Kapil Dev (cricket legend): "As I enter a new Step up to governance role Continued from page 1 Julie Blais Comeau Continued on page 5