4 Reasons to Never Get Drunk at Company Parties
Before going to prison, I remember drinking with coworkers after work at a restaurant called California Cafe. To be honest, it was pretty damn cool. It was a great way to unwind and blow off some steam. It also gave us a chance to get to know each other on a personal level. I think these little hangouts really improved our on the job chemistry. I’ve done this with other jobs and luckily, I’ve been just as lucky to get the same type of chemistry. However, there times when I wasn’t always so lucky. Nowadays I wouldn’t do it.
The problem with drinking too much with your coworkers is that you will really get know them. That’s not always a good thing. For example, I can be direct and sarcastic when I’m not quiet and reserved. If you’re a person who is sensitive or even outspoken, then we have got a serious argument. If we are unable to resolve the situation quickly, it could carry over to work. I know this to be true because it happened to me. Here are my 4 reasons why I keep myself sober at company functions.
Flirting Gone Wrong
At a company party I decided to flirt with one of my coworkers. I told her how much I really liked the way she dressed. I wasn’t drunk, but I did have two drinks by then. I felt very relaxed and comfortable. She had expressed mutual feelings and we flirted even more. However, like most men, I slipped up and said something offensive. Only God knows what it was, but it completely turned her off. For the next two months, I felt like she viewed me as the creepy guy from the club that never got the hint. Even having a conversation about working in the restaurant was weird. I guess she felt like anything I said would lead me to trying to sleep with her. Once she figured out that I wasn’t, she became a cool friend.
They Can’t Handle The Real You
Getting to know coworkers can be a tricky skill to learn. I have had a falling out with coworkers due some of the jokes I’ve told or because of a misunderstanding. Some of these jokes I tell to my personal friends as well, but because they were my coworkers, they couldn’t handle that type of humor.
True Feelings Explode
Other mishaps I’ve seen include a drunken employee cussing out other employees or managers about various job related displeasures. The employee was so drunk that they were even vomiting! Days later the employer had fired the employee.
Exposed Secrets
Getting too comfortable with coworkers can allow us to reveal information that should be kept secret. I remember one employee told me and another coworker, “That’s why I’m always late. I tell Dave that I’m stuck in traffic, but really I’m with my boyfriend.” Little did she know, one of the manager’s little snitches was ear hustling. She was fired for being late days later.
With these situations in mind, I’ve learned, even though I’ve had great experiences with drinking with coworkers at parties, it’s best I stay professional. I try to talk to them as if I’m at work with them. At work, I say just enough to make myself look human with some personality, but never enough to get too personal. At the same time, I don’t bring my friends from my personal life around those in my professional life. We may not be drunk, but my friends may bust me out or roast me and tell some secrets I really don’t want people to know. Also, I don’t tell my professional coworkers where to find my personal business. This is why I stopped adding coworkers on Facebook and Twitter (even though I’m very easy to find online.) I just like to keep my personal life private and my work life professional. The best way of doing that is to keep myself sober and keep everything else separate.