and greet people you know only peripherally. A three- to five-minute conversation is just right for making contact without running out of things to talk about. Open-ended questions are guaranteed conversations starters ("What are your plans for the holidays?" "Tell me about last year's party."). Not feeling to confident? Find someone who looks as miserable as you feel and talk to them.

Quit while you’re ahead

When the festivities start winding down, it's time to make a graceful exit. Don't race out the door, but keep an eye on the clock and plan to leave no less than an hour after you arrived and no later than f

Remember how your first weeks on the job can make or break your career? So can your first office party. Use the holiday gala as an opportunity to let your personality shine and show your superiors that your style and skill extend beyond your desk.

Dress to impress (but leave the sequins at home)

If you have to ask yourself if your outfit is really appropriate for an office function, that means it's not. You want to look classy, not trashy. When in doubt, aim for something you think your boss would approve of.

Fashionably late

To avoid the awkwardness of people standing around in small clumps (think your middle school dance), you can wait until the party is in full swing before making your entrance. Be careful, though – arriving more than 15 or 20 minutes after the time listed on the invitation is definitely rude, and people will notice.

Just say no

It might seem like a good idea at the time, but downing several cocktails to "loosen up" won't look so good on Monday morning when your boss confronts you with the photocopies you made of your butt while making out with a coworker in the mailroom. So what if your gin and tonic is really just tonic? You'll be the only one who knows.

Shake it like you mean it

Holiday parties are a great time to meet people in other departments and to meet your coworkers' spouses and significant others, so you'll be shaking a lot of hands. The last thing you want to do is offer a cold, clammy palm to a new acquaintance. Balance your drink and your hors d'oeuvres in your left hand so your right stays clean and dry.

Give the gift of tact

When making the rounds at the party, be sensitive to those who don't celebrate the predominant holiday in your office. Where "Merry Christmas" might be inappropriate, "Happy holidays" or "Happy New Year" might be just right to get you rocking around the... nondenominational winter tree.

Take it to the top

Haven't met the head honcho yet? This is the perfect opportunity to wow him or her with your sparkling personality. It is not, however, a good time to suck up or talk shop. A brief, gracious, confident conversation (less than five minutes) will leave your boss with a positive impression. And don't forget to thank the party planner. A handwritten note after the fact is a particularly nice touch.

Work the room

You see your close friends and coworkers every day. Be sure to make the rounds and greet people you know only peripherally. A three- to five-minute conversation is just right for making contact without running out of things to talk about. Open-ended questions are guaranteed conversations starters ("What are your plans for the holidays?" "Tell me about last year's party."). Not feeling to confident? Find someone who looks as miserable as you feel and talk to them.

Quit while you’re ahead

When the festivities start winding down, it's time to make a graceful exit. Don't race out the door, but keep an eye on the clock and plan to leave no less than an hour after you arrived and no later than fi

ll clumps (think your middle school dance), you can wait until the party is in full swing before making your entrance. Be careful, though – arriving more than 15 or 20 minutes after the time listed on the invitation is definitely rude, and people will notice.

Just say no

It might seem like a good idea at the time, but downing several cocktails to "loosen up" won't look so good on Monday morning when your boss confronts you with the photocopies you made of your butt while making out with a coworker in the mailroom. So what if your gin and tonic is really just tonic? You'll be the only one who knows.

Shake it like you mean it

Holiday parties are a great time to meet people in other departments and to meet your coworkers' spouses and significant others, so you'll be shaking a lot of hands. The last thing you want to do is offer a cold, clammy palm to a new acquaintance. Balance your drink and your hors d'oeuvres in your left hand so your right stays clean and dry.

Give the gift of tact

When making the rounds at the party, be sensitive to those who don't celebrate the predominant holiday in your office. Where "Merry Christmas" might be inappropriate, "Happy holidays" or "Happy New Year" might be just right to get you rocking around the... nondenominational winter tree.

Take it to the top

Haven't met the head honcho yet? This is the perfect opportunity to wow him or her with your sparkling personality. It is not, however, a good time to suck up or talk shop. A brief, gracious, confident conversation (less than five minutes) will leave your boss with a positive impression. And don't forget to thank the party planner. A handwritten note after the fact is a particularly nice touch.

Work the room

You see your close friends and coworkers every day. Be sure to make the rounds and greet people you know only peripherally. A three- to five-minute conversation is just right for making contact without running out of things to talk about. Open-ended questions are guaranteed conversations starters ("What are your plans for the holidays?" "Tell me about last year's party."). Not feeling to confident? Find someone who looks as miserable as you feel and talk to them.

Quit while you’re ahead

When the festivities start winding down, it's time to make a graceful exit. Don't race out the door, but keep an eye on the clock and plan to leave no less than an hour after you arrived and no later than f

g>Shake it like you mean it

Holiday parties are a great time to meet people in other departments and to meet your coworkers' spouses and significant others, so you'll be shaking a lot of hands. The last thing you want to do is offer a cold, clammy palm to a new acquaintance. Balance your drink and your hors d'oeuvres in your left hand so your right stays clean and dry.

Give the gift of tact

When making the rounds at the party, be sensitive to those who don't celebrate the predominant holiday in your office. Where "Merry Christmas" might be inappropriate, "Happy holidays" or "Happy New Year" might be just right to get you rocking around the... nondenominational winter tree.

Take it to the top

Haven't met the head honcho yet? This is the perfect opportunity to wow him or her with your sparkling personality. It is not, however, a good time to suck up or talk shop. A brief, gracious, confident conversation (less than five minutes) will leave your boss with a positive impression. And don't forget to thank the party planner. A handwritten note after the fact is a particularly nice touch.

Work the room

You see your close friends and coworkers every day. Be sure to make the rounds and greet people you know only peripherally. A three- to five-minute conversation is just right for making contact without running out of things to talk about. Open-ended questions are guaranteed conversations starters ("What are your plans for the holidays?" "Tell me about last year's party."). Not feeling to confident? Find someone who looks as miserable as you feel and talk to them.

Quit while you’re ahead

When the festivities start winding down, it's time to make a graceful exit. Don't race out the door, but keep an eye on the clock and plan to leave no less than an hour after you arrived and no later than f

be just right to get you rocking around the... nondenominational winter tree.

Take it to the top

Haven't met the head honcho yet? This is the perfect opportunity to wow him or her with your sparkling personality. It is not, however, a good time to suck up or talk shop. A brief, gracious, confident conversation (less than five minutes) will leave your boss with a positive impression. And don't forget to thank the party planner. A handwritten note after the fact is a particularly nice touch.

Work the room

You see your close friends and coworkers every day. Be sure to make the rounds and greet people you know only peripherally. A three- to five-minute conversation is just right for making contact without running out of things to talk about. Open-ended questions are guaranteed conversations starters ("What are your plans for the holidays?" "Tell me about last year's party."). Not feeling to confident? Find someone who looks as miserable as you feel and talk to them.

Quit while you’re ahead

When the festivities start winding down, it's time to make a graceful exit. Don't race out the door, but keep an eye on the clock and plan to leave no less than an hour after you arrived and no later than f

and greet people you know only peripherally. A three- to five-minute conversation is just right for making contact without running out of things to talk about. Open-ended questions are guaranteed conversations starters ("What are your plans for the holidays?" "Tell me about last year's party."). Not feeling to confident? Find someone who looks as miserable as you feel and talk to them.

Quit while you’re ahead

When the festivities start winding down, it's time to make a graceful exit. Don't race out the door, but keep an eye on the clock and plan to leave no less than an hour after you arrived and no later than fifteen minutes before the "official" end of the party -- unless, of course, you want to join the clean-up crew. Start your goodbyes about 20 minutes before you plan to walk out the door, and be sure to put in an appearance with the host on your way out the door to thank them for all their work.

Above all, remember that the point of holiday events in the office is to bring employees together for a good time. Keep the “rules” in mind, but let yourself have fun, too. The impressions you make and the relationships you spark at the winter event will be the gift that keeps on giving for the next year.

* This article originally appeared in desire Los Angeles in December 2004.