3 career mistakes people make at Christmas
Flickr Creative Commons by cassie_bedfordgolf
It's easy to get swept up in the good cheer, but in fact, the last few weeks before Chirstmas are filled with landmines at the workplace. Here's what happens: You let your guard down and then you end up missing big opportunities that someone else swoops in to take.
1. Slack off when no one's at the office.
We all know that senior people take time off at Christmas and junior people have to hold down the fort. This usually works because in most industries, very little happens at the end of December. But each year, in each office, something big and unexpected comes up. If you are there you'll get the chance to do the work of someone much more senior to you. It's a chance to prove yourself, and a chance to work with people who would normally think you're too low-level.
Side benefit: There is a lot of fun to be had at the office while you're waiting around for something big to happen. Here are a few ideas.
2. Assume the Christmas party was just plain fun.
The statistics surrounding office Christmas parties are incredible. More than 40% of all men have said they had a romantic exchange with someone at an office Christmas party. This statistic is consistent with a wide range of other statistics. For example, Trojan Condoms found that most men would be willing to have sex with a co-worker during the party if the opportunity presented itself.
Surprisingly, one-fourth of the relationships that begin at an office Christmas party end in marriage. Which means office politics are about to shift in your office. Use the downtime at the end of Christmas to sniff out new alignments and get a jump start on realigning yourself. (You can never be too focused on office politics, really, because office politics is really about being nice.)
3. Say "Happy Holidays" to people who don't celebrate Christmas.
When you wish someone Happy Holidays it really means "Merry Christmas to those of you who don't Celebrate Christmas." (This is one of my list of the five annoying things people say at Christmas.)
Christmas is a religious holiday. To have Christmas dominate the office for a month is to announce to other people that if you don't celebrate Christmas, you are not part of the team. It's not said explicitly, but it's implicit. Christmas is bad for diversity in the workplace. And bad for your career.
The better you work with diverse teams, the more effective you'll be in your career. So if you can understand why Christmas is annoying to a wide range of people, you can work better with a wide range of people.
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If a coworker were to offer me the appropriate wish for Ramadan or Yom Kippur, I would not be offended.
Rather than smothering the celebration of one group's holiday(s), we should instead also be aware of the special days of others with whom we work. I'm not saying we should all fast for Ramadan (as an example), but by being aware of it we are less likely to schedule important meetings as lunch meetings during that time.
Just because you don't celebrate Christmas doesn't mean that others shouldn't be allowed to. Furthermore, if you take offence that I wish you a Merry Christmas, I see this as a flaw on your part. You are taking an offence where certainly none was intended. In fact you are taking offence where well wishes were offered.
I'm not Jewish, but if someone wished me a Happy Hanukkah I would take that in the spirit that it was offered - as a wish for well being - and be honored to be included in something that was obviously important to that person. I would not feel offended, and I certainly would not feel "...not part of the team" just because I don't share the same religious belief as that person.
We as a society need to improve tolerance. Yes, we have a long way to go, but suggesting Christmas not be celebrated in the workplace in a nation where it is one of the most important events in the calendar of the majority of its citizens is not working towards this goal. It is preaching intolerance.
Sorry, but I will continue to wish all those I am in contact with a Merry Christmas. I do so with the purpose of wishing them all the best at this special time of year. Wouldn't it be rude not to include some people in these well wishes?
I would only think you intolerant if you were trying to make me feel guilty for believing or try to stop me from having a belief. Your beliefs are your beliefs and you are welcome to have them and share them, just as any other group is. Whats the problem?
You can check out an interview I recently did where I talk about how I made the switch from employee to consultant, and where I talk about some of my initial fears & doubts, and give actual income & rate numbers:
http://www.startmyconsultingbusiness.com/how-i-made-the-switch-from-employee-to-consultant.
Greg Miliates
http://www.StartMyConsultingBusiness.com