How to enjoy office parties as an introvert

How to enjoy office parties as an introvertHow to enjoy office parties as an introvertWhile Christmas is most peoples favorite holiday, many people dread the holidays. Some find it difficult to be around family while others feel lonely when theyre still on the market - and then there are those who find the Christmas season painful due to the hours of socializing.How people gain energy - introversion and extroversion - affects socialization and even careers. In the U.S. workforce, introverts can feel like they fade into the background, but studies show that introvertshave a subtle powerand may perform better than extroverts in the workplace. When it comes to office parties, can introverts pull through once again and find success?Whether you are an introvert who gets drained from too much menschlich interaction or you have social anxieties, office parties can be a looming inconvenience during your holiday season. Even if youre a little shy, you can feel intimidated by holding a conv ersation with your coworkers. Here are 6 ways for introverts to have a good time at an office anlass during the holidays.1. Find the Benefits of the PartyBefore the dread sets in or you overthink how a conversation could go wrong, brainstorm the positive things about the festivitt. Positive thinking can impact your experience andyour ability to cope with stress, so put it into practice. Find out all the details of the party early on so you can pinpoint the best parts, like the music or location.If you know the food or beverages will be free and fully stocked, you can be prepared to appreciate the night rather than tolerate it. Make reminders for yourself on your phone about the plus side to your office extravaganza.2. Grab a Buddy to Stick WithWalking into an office party alone can be uncomfortable, but bringing along a friend or planning to meet your favorite coworker beforehand can improve the night. You and your desk buddy can plan to carpool together. Youll feel more at ease whe n you have a friend to talk to in the crowded room.Introverts tend toprefer a few intimate friendsto a large group of people, so even one person to hang around at an office party makes a big difference.3. Try to Smile and Make Eye ContactWhen youve spoken to many people at the party and your energy levels start to tank, you can start to look distant and cold. Introverts may not pick up on their facial expression, but it can cause people to think they arent up for talking.Body language is an unconscious indicator for social interactions, whichhelps people feel connected. Try to smile and make eye contact to be friendly. When you smile at someone it encourages them to feel welcome and keep a conversation flowing.4. Take Breaks From the CrowdThe noise and an overwhelming number of people can start to get to you after a while. Instead of leaving the party immediately, you can take a timeout. Go to a quiet corner or walk outside for a break from the chaos.Breaks canrefresh your brain and restore your motivation. Even escaping to a different room in your building or the bathroom can be helpful. If you need to call someone to vent or sit down, this can help you make it through the rest of the night.5. Keep a Conversation up With QuestionsIf you have a hard timespeaking up at work, carrying on a conversation may not be your favorite thing. You may not be able to gather the mental energy to figure out a clever joke or tell an elaborate story after the first five conversations. But if you get other people talking, you wont have to.You can keep up a conversation by asking questions and listening to the answers. Find out about your coworkers life by letting curiosity flow and using open-ended questions. People enjoy talking about themselves, and you can even share about your own life if they turn the questions around.6. Give Yourself a Time LimitGive the office party a chance by setting a time limit. This allows you to make the most of your time and it gives you confidenc e to know you dont have to stay forever. Make plans with a friend or family member for right after your time limit so you have a non-negotiable appointment that friendly coworkers cant argue with. You can survive a party for an hour or two, and the promise of freedom will keep you going through any difficult parts.Make the Most of Your Holiday amtsstube CelebrationWhile an office party during the holidays can be challenging for shy people, you can have a fun time by trying these tips. When you know your strengths and weaknesses, you can better handle a night of socialization as an introvert.Have you found helpful ways to make it through an office party this holiday season? Comment below to share your advice for introverted workers. Share this article with other introverts in your life and subscribe formore information about navigating the workplace.This article was originally published on Punched Clocks.

Accountemps Study Finds Job Hopping Becoming More Accepted

Accountemps Study Finds Job Hopping Becoming More Accepted Accountemps Study Finds Job Hopping Becoming More Accepted The Accountemps report included highlights such as57 percent of employees between the ages of 18 and 34 said changing jobs every few years can actually help their career38 percent of employees between the ages of 35 and 54 said job-hopping can be a career booster22 percent of those age 55 or older agreed that it could help ones career.Broken down by sex, 47 percent of men accepted job-hopping as a career strategy, compared to 37 percent of women.Asked to identify the top five benefits to their careers of job-hopping, job hoppers in the survey listed the followingIt leads to higher compensationJob hoppers gain new skillsJob hoppers the corporate latter more rapidly than non-hoppersJob hoppers experience more corporate cultures andJob hopping quickly builds an impressive resume.Conventional wisdom about the perils of job hopping has begun to shift, but professionals s till need to look carefully before they leap, said Bill Driscoll, a district president with Accountemps. Changing jobs every three to four years is one thing more frequent moves could indicate the inability to dig into a role and put employers on guard. Professionals considering job moves should evaluate not only salary but also where they will have the greatest opportunity to build skills and advance their careers.

Kung Fu Control vs. Pacino Passion

Kung Fu Control vs. Pacino Passion Kung Fu Control vs. Pacino Passion OK. So control is generally, even if not always, a good thing. This means there are two challenges in controlling controlKnowing which kind of control to try to exert in any given situation.Knowing when to relinquish or otherwise do without it.The iconic image of a self-controlled kung fu master in serene control of not only any assailant, but also of his inner environment, including his feelings, concentration, focus, weapons and skills, is very appealing. But, in appeal and merit it is countered by the equally iconic images of passionate Pablo Picasso, fiery out-of-control whooping Al Pacino and lovestruck/star-crossed Romeo and Juliet- ah, those LatinsBut wait Out of what kind of control?Assuming that in some situations control is a good thing, it remains to decide which kind of control to shoot for. Heres a menu of forms of control it is useful to identify and important not to confuse with each otherWeatherma n effect control Being a meteorologist gives you a degree of what can be called effect control- control over the effects of things you are powerless to stop, e.g., a hurricane, tornado or blizzard, e.g., by evacuation, retreating to a storm shelter or by chopping extra logs for the fireplace.The heart of this kind of control is the power of prediction and having the resources to deal with the consequences when the prediction comes true. In an office environment, an example would be having duplicate copies of your project report that your absent-minded boss is notorious for misplacing and losing. This can also be described as a form of partial control.Engineer cause control This kind of control amounts to three things- 1. prevention 2. staging 3. execution, implementation and maintenance. Designing a bridge or a jet involves all three designing structures and function that will prevent problems, framing the processes and structures to get the job done, and concretely carrying them ou t and maintaining or upgrading them.This most closely approximates the ideal of total control- and the kind of control that makes micro-managing types drool. From this perspective, designing a boss who is incapable of misplacing a report, or failing that, designing a fail-safe system of filing making compensatory backup files unnecessary would perfectly exemplify cause control.If you think of an engineer as being like God, or vice versa, this kind of cause control can be further analyzed like thisPure Designer Control Deism is the philosophical idea that once God designed the universe, He/She set it loose, free from any further direct control and allowed to unwind like a watch designed by a Master Watchmaker or a jet created by Boeing engineers. Translated into terms of HR departments, this means controlling your job flow by having a system design that incorporates preparations for any contingency, including the sudden disappearance of the new recruit on Day-1.Intervener Designer Co ntrol Deism is in contrast to the idea of a much more interventionist Designer, who, in addition to or instead of designing the clockwork, will tinker with it from time to time, in order to bring about, through direct control, changes that seem suitable- usually in the form of fine-tuning or miracles. Engineering refits and accounting systems modifications fall into this category of cause control.Kung fu-master contingency control The idealized control exerted by a wispy-bearded kung fu master is different from both themeteorologists and engineers control paradigms. A kung fu master, unlike a meteorologist, cannot and need not predict what will happen nor, like the engineer, engineer it in advance. Instead, with respect to the outer world, he exercises purely contingency control- being prepared for whatever happens, despite neither predicting nor creating it. Its as though he is calmly and confidently making his way through a dark, menacing forest, totally ready for the unexpected. in gleichem abstand nebeneinander to this control is the Masters unwavering self-control that makes this kind of comprehensive contingency control possible.In a business environment, kung fu-master control amounts to being ready to roll with and parry the punches, even when they are, in detail, utterly unforeseen and unpredictable. It means being mentally, logistically, operationally and otherwise ready for whatever happens and being confident and calm in virtue of being that ready.Like weatherman control, this is reactive but like engineer cause-control it is proactive to the extent that built into the makeup and design of a kung fu master are capacities to deal with a very wide range of contingencies, including emergencies. The difference, however, is that the kung fu master, unlike the engineer and possibly under the influence of a Taoist or Buddhist doctrine of non-action, doesnt try to cause anything, including forcing others do things- except obey the laws of physics and colla pse when he pummels them, while nonetheless being ready for whatever they may throw at him.Caution about PassionWhat about passion? If construed as the opposite of self-control, when should it be held in check or reined in? One clue to an answer is whether it is seen as control that is relinquished, surrendered or waived, or, instead, lost.It can be argued that when control is voluntarily relinquished it is probably safe to do so. As examples of this kind of relinquished control, theres allowing others to tickle you, agreeing to skinny dip or choosing to resign as CEO in order to spend more time with the family or golfing.On the other hand, when what is experienced feels like a loss of control and a complete surrender to the moment, things can get very tricky and muddy. For example, surrendering to heat of sensual passion can feel like loss of control, feel very good and turn out quite well for all concerned. Yet, when you read, He lost control and you are probably braced and righ tly prepared to hear an unhappy story as the completion.This perspective may seem to be reinforced by the concept of the Passion of Christ, which somehow suggests a pawns passivity as a consequence or in the face of a loss of control over ones fate, seized by ones persecutors. However, a careful look at the etymology of passion suggests otherwise, and, at most, an emotional connection with what we (should) do, rather than an obstacle to it. In this connection, it has been suggested thatThe Latin word, passionem, which means to endure, was tagged onto the word pie (which means suffering) Note as in Michelangelos Pieta and later imbued with the sense of the Greek word pathos to create the meaning of passion, as the endurance of great suffering (as that of Jesus) and that the faulen meaning, which may have derived from some poetic wordplay on the sufferings of love was not used until the early 1600s, but has gradually become more commonly used than the original meaning.Another complica tion is that passion and self-control are not always mutually exclusive a passionate research scientist toiling to find a cure for the cancer that has afflicted his wife will nonetheless be utterly disciplined and self-controlled in his lab work. Such an easily comprehended scenario merely reflects the fact that we can be intensely passionate about our goals, yet in complete self-control and control of the elements constituting or related to the means.Even the kung fu master is likely to passionately defend his values while calmly defending himself from physical attack or stoically tolerating it.As for Al Pacino, the degree of self-control and discipline that underlies his passionate portrayals further illustrates not only how passionate ends can require self-controlled means, but also quite the oppositeHow passionate means, e.g., fiery dramatic performances, help achieve very disciplined, focused and cool-headed or equally passionately held goals, e.g., to become a master of ones c raft and of huge troves of wealth and fame.