Haven't we as a society outgrown cocktail parties? Especially work related cocktail parties? People spend so much time together at work as it is, what with every company in the world seemingly working at full speed with a skeleton staff. Do they really expect us to give up our Saturday evenings to go schmooze with the suits? Ugh!
K's company....well, not the whole company, but her HR group, is invited to a cocktail party at one of the bosses house. This boss is several rungs up the Big Ladder and apparently looking to go higher. She's invited some of the top floor guys as well as some of her underlings, K being one of the underlings. And I, as an employee spousal unit, am invited, too.
But K doesn't have any burning ambition to climb any higher. She's found a sweet spot right where she is. She likes what she does, the compensation is acceptable, and the hours are reasonable. And they love her as it is, even without schmoozing. When they have a problem or a special project, she's their "go-to" girl. Is this party to make the boss look good, or is it to let the underlings shine? Do the top floor shits....oops, typo, I meant SUITS....enjoy this kind of thing or is it a pain for them, too?
You see where this is going. K and I at a company cocktail party would be like Cheech and Chong at the Royal Wedding (except without the drugs and with better hygiene). When she brought the invitation home we both just shrugged and accepted it. Now that "the event" is just days away she's pacing the floor....climbing the walls will be next....wondering how she/we can duck out. Worst case we show for a few minutes, partake in some free food and drink, then escape out the bathroom window. Best case, alien abduction en route.
Whatdayathink?
S
My wife stopped taking me to parties with her coworkers. Anytime I get around a room full of her lawyer colleagues I start dreaming of locking the doors and burning the building down.
ReplyDeleteBum....reminds me of the old joke: What do you call a bus load of lawyers crashing over a hundred foot cliff? A good start. ;)
ReplyDeleteS
Back in my working days, I'd occasionally get invited to a party and would accept and then the day of the party start thinking of ways I could get out of it. Finally, SWMBO and I would go, grudgingly, and have a GREAT TIME! So, give it your best shot and, maybe, drink a lot.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Catalyst, it may turn out more fun then you expect (plus all the nice goodies)
ReplyDeleteOur quarterly meetings are usually at the local art museum, with a little cocktail party in the halls of the museum afterwards (picture "little food" and art while mixing and mingling with coworkers). Luckily, only employees are invited. My husband would be bored at such occasions. He's one of those people who would rather bite their tongue off than give more than a one-word answer.
ReplyDeleteHope you have fun!
Announce at the beginning that you can't stay long, make quick rounds touching base with as many people as you can and then slip away if you don't connect with someone interesting. I've been watching my CEO and that is what he does and yet everyone remembers him as being everywhere. He has it down to a science.
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