By: Amy Bean Napier
The weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years are always stock full of parties, receptions and other various festivities. For the extroverted people lovers, this is a great time of the year where you get to party and spend time with lots of people and talk, laugh, drink and eat and just have a jolly good time! But for the introverted not-crazy-about-crowds type of people (like myself), it can be pure torture!
Disclaimer: No animal was harmed during the making of this blog
So for all those similar minded, introverted, not really into social events, business professionals out there, here are some tips of how to survive and thrive during the upcoming holiday season.
1. Don’t Sweat Early – If you know the event is on Friday night, force yourself NOT to think or obsess about it until Friday night. This includes the important stuff like what am I going to wear, what time should I get there, who will I hang with onsite, do I really have to go, etc. If you worry about these types of issues too early, you will be stressed out to the max before you even start the preparation and will be completely “over it” before you even get there. Wait until an hour before you should be there and then stress about everything all at once. One hour of hard core stress is a lot better than 2 weeks of continuous worrying!
(Image Courtesy of Stuart Miles, FreeDigitalPhotos.net)
2. Arrive Late – Have a good excuse ready for when you walk in just as the networking reception is ending or everyone is sitting down to dinner. Something like “my car wouldn’t start” or “the dog/kid got sick” or “I got lost” should suffice. This allows you not only to sneak in but also to shorten the torture, eh time that you have to spend at the overall event!
3. Dress for Success – For most introverts this means dress so that you don’t stand out in the crowd. We aren’t the ones wearing the flashy prom-like dresses or shiny pants and shirts! We want to fit in and be as nondescript as possible. Personally I like a simple outfit with muted colors that can blend in with the walls and corners that I’m going to be hiding in!
Partners’ Flashy Staff L-R (bold): Caroline Thomas and MJ Jansky, Danielle Jessup, Malarie Barineau and Jill Jackson,
Christina Welty and Erin Malone
4. Find your Person – We introverts really only need the company of ourselves to be perfectly happy. But when attending social events, it’s usually frowned upon if you don’t network and talk at least a little. So find that one person that you feel that you can stand to be around for the next 2-3 hours and latch on. Preferably the person would be someone that loves to talk, about themselves, and never realizes that you are only adding in generic filler (something like “really?”, “that’s interesting”, “tell me more”, “wow”, etc.) to keep the conversation going.
5. Be the First to Leave – You will have to stay for all the important stuff but once the dinner is over, the gifts have been opened and the awards have been presented, there is no need to overstay your welcome! Quickly say goodbye to the important players (like the hosts, your boss, your significant other, etc.) and get out the heck out of there!
(Image Courtesy of digidreamgrafix, FreeDigitalPhotos.net)
Fellow introverts, by following these simple tips, you too could enjoy this year’s holiday season. Ok who am I kidding, enjoy is a strong word, tolerate maybe or at least not hate. Let the Partners 2014 holiday season begin!
