Articles 14 December 2023 / 0 Comments

Somehow I Manage | Making the Most of the Campus Holiday Party

Raise your hand if you've ever felt personally victimized by your institution's Holiday Party!

The "most wonderful time of the year" can be hectic for AV staff with Winter Commencements, upgrades, and special projects. It's tempting to skip the campus holiday party altogether, especially for introverts who are focused on system upgrades. However, attending the party is key to building relationships on campus and leading your team. People have no way of knowing who you are or the awesome work your team does if you don't put yourself out there! If you want to start building better relationships but you're not sure how to start, head over to that holiday party and keep these conversation starters in your back pocket...

 

Work Related Questions 

These are great to ask people who you need or want to collaborate with. They will also likely return the same question to you, giving you the opportunity to talk about your work and hype up your team!

  • "What was your favorite project this semester?"
  • "What  are you looking forward to next semester?"
  • "What do your department's winter break projects look like?"
  • "I noticed you/your department have been working on [insert task/project here]. How is that going?"
    • Follow up, if it's appropriate and your team has the bandwidth: "How can I/my team help with that?"
  • "I noticed you/your department excel at [insert task/project here]. Can we chat about that sometime?"
  • "I wonder if we can collaborate on [insert task/project here] in the new year?"
    • The last two questions also offer you an exit strategy. You can end the conversation with, "I've gotta go, but I'm looking forward to connecting again!" 

 

Personal Questions

These are fun relationship building questions. They can help you connect with your colleagues on a more personal level, which can come in handy later!

  • Wear your favorite holiday sweater-- sometimes a fun sweater is a conversation starter in and of itself! (And might make people approach you instead of you approaching them #IntrovertLifeHack.)
  • "What's your favorite holiday movie?"
    • "Do you think Die Hard is a Christmas movie?" (Be ready for strong opinions!)
  • "What's your favorite holiday tradition?"
  • "What's the best gift you've ever gotten?"
  • "Do you have any New Year's Resolutions?"
  • "What snack/drink do you recommend I grab from that table over there?" 
    • This is an opportunity to talk about food, but also an exit strategy if you want to stop the conversation. 

 

You probably have a lot of work on your plate, but don't skip the opportunity to network! Relationship building is key to successful collaboration. Even if you choose just one of the above questions and pitch them to a few colleagues, you might be surprised by how well the conversation flows. Having these conversations can be invigorating, and lead to opportunities later. The bugs in your new system will still be there when you return to your desk, but the holiday party only happens once a year. So, put on your favorite sweater and go rep your team! You've got this!