职场点津：新人如何闯“酒场”
经过层层闯关，终于进了心仪已久的单位。如何得到老板的青睐，如何快速地和团队融为一体，很多职场新人由于经验不足，表现出无所适从。身处职场，不少人都免不了“酒精”测试。涉世未深的职场新人们该如何勇闯“酒场”，才能既体面地力行酒桌规矩又能游刃有余地不伤身体?Q. You are new to the corporate world and not sure what to do at business
functions or after-hour gatherings where alcohol is present. If everyone else is
drinking — including your boss — should you drink, too?
A. For those new to the professional world, the line between a work event
and a social event is often unclear. You may see all the trappings of a party —
food, music, even dancing — but any gathering where colleagues are present is
business and you should stay sharp and avoid alcohol, said Jody Queen-Hubert,
executive director of cooperative education and career services at Pace
University in New York。
“Don’t be fooled,” she warned. “You are always being scrutinized by
colleagues, so professionalism at all times is a must。”
Cy Wakeman, president of a human resources consulting firm bearing her name
in Sioux City, Iowa, says that when it comes to drinking with colleagues, “the
risk is very high that something negative will come out of it。” She says that
it’s acceptable to have one or two drinks but that it is best to stop there。
“I even advise staying out of photographs with groups of people drinking,”
she added, “because it could wind up online somewhere, like Facebook。”
Everyone you interact with while drinking has the potential to affect your
career. A colleague today may be your manager six months from now and will
likely recall any indecorous behavior. 更多信息请访问：http://www.24en.com/
If colleagues regularly have drinks after work, order what everyone else is
having but sip it slowly. “Make it last all night,” Ms. Queen-Hubert said.
“Holding a drink without drinking is a way to feel like part of the crowd
without compromising your judgment。”
Q. How do you politely decline to drink, especially if others are urging
you to have one?
A. A simple “no, thanks” should suffice, said Debra Benton, a career coach
and author of “C.E.O. Material: How to Be a Leader in Any Organization。” If
everyone in your group is ordering a drink, get a soda or a tonic and lime。
You don’t need to make excuses, she said, or give a reason that reveals
personal information, like “I’m on medication。” You can, however, give the
reason if it is less personal — you will be driving, for example, or you need to
finish some work when you get home。
If you are at a dinner where bottles of wine are ordered, you don’t want to
protest because it will bring unwanted attention, said Debra Condren, a business
psychologist and president of Manhattan Business Coaching. “You want to fit in,
and that might mean getting a glass of wine and having a few sips or just
letting it sit there,” she said。
Q. When you attend business-related social events with more-senior
colleagues, they always seem to be holding a drink. Could your refusal to do the
same draw attention to your youth and inexperience?
A. In some corporate cultures, having a scotch or bourbon is a way to build
relationships, a way to take part, Ms. Condren said. “If you are at a
high-profile event and all the executives are having a drink, you may feel you
need one to be part of the club,” she noted. “That being said, you can still
drink very little of it or have one drink and then switch to water。”
It’s essential, however, to know your limits. If you’re inexperienced in
such situations and your clients or bosses are throwing back Johnnie Walkers,
you can’t follow their lead, Ms. Condren said. If you try to keep up, you will
likely drink too much and act unprofessionally — definitely drawing attention to
your youth and inexperience。
Q. If you wound up overdoing it at a company event, what’s the best way to
deal with it the next day at the office?
A. If you offended or insulted anyone you must make amends, but do so
privately. Making an apology to the entire office or department is unnecessary
and can seem self-indulgent, Ms. Wakeman said. “Talk to people individually,
saying you drank too much and learned a valuable lesson and that it will never
happen again,” she said. “And remember that if it does happen again, you will
lose your credibility。”
Q. Is it acceptable to call in sick if you are suffering from a bad
hangover?
A. No. Even if the culture is one of “playing hard,” there is also an
expectation you will work hard the next day, Ms. Queen-Hubert said. Use your
trusted hangover remedy and soldier on。
If you are too sick to get out of bed, you will have to meet with your boss
when you return and find some way to make restitution, said Dallas Teague
Snider, founder of Make Your Best Impression, a business etiquette consulting
firm in Birmingham, Ala. “Offer to work an extra day or take your sick day as
unpaid vacation instead,” she said. “Your boss may say you don’t need to do
that, but you should still offer。”
Q. How can you tell if you have a drinking problem that needs to be
addressed?
A. If you can relax at professional events only by having a drink, that
could indicate a problem, Ms. Condren said. “If you are embarrassing yourself or
sometimes don’t remember your behavior,” she said, “it’s a good idea to seek
professional counseling。”
You may be using alcohol as a crutch when navigating uncomfortable social
situations, Ms. Wakeman said. Rather than relying on alcohol, find a co-worker
who is naturally adept at mingling and ask if he or she could help you develop
those social skills, too。
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