As the year draws to a close, it is time to let our hair down and celebrate. With all the sumptuous food, close friends, clients and colleagues, we are bound to enjoy our time at parties. Is this really the case?
This may be the exception rather than the norm. While some parties are fun-filled and with people we are comfortable with, there might be parties where we interact with people we are not close to. This might result in us feeling awkward and uncomfortable. Here are some tips for us to feel more confident and maximise our time spent in the party.
These simple tips will allow us to forge meaningful bonds with new people we meet and allow us to generate greater returns in exchange for the time spent in such events.
- Always have a positive mindset about the party
Human beings are social creatures and will be able to sense emotions (Perry, 2019) from people around us. This is from the Stone Age where when someone notices a predator coming, he will show fear and others in the group will quickly observe and pick up arms to defend themselves. This evolutionary feature has not changed with time and is perhaps strengthened now. Thus, if you have a negative mindset about the party, people will naturally be unwilling to associate with you since they sense negative vibes from you. So, it is important to feel genuinely excited and positive about the party. This vibe will rub off the people around you in a positive manner. A party is a good opportunity to unwind, have fun and meet new people, so there are definitely reasons to look forward to it.
- Do your homework
It is essential to conduct some form of research on the potential people you will meet at parties. At company parties or events, you may actually know the person beforehand. You can actually find out their interests and hobbies by simply having casual conversations with their friends or other colleagues, this will give you a rough idea on their likes and preferences. With this bit of information, you can actually come up with potential topics of interest to talk to them about. This will reduce the number of awkward moments as you will always have things to ask them about in the face of a conversation standstill.
- Move around and be approachable
We should always move around and smile in parties. This will allow us to give off positive and friendly vibes which will naturally attract more people to talk to us. Furthermore, if we are shy initially, we are more likely to stay rooted to the ground as time passes. But if we force ourselves to move around and talk to people from other groups, we will derive the momentum and get the chance to interact with more people. Thus, we will be able to make more connections and form meaningful friendships with people from all walks of life. Moving around not only allows you to bond with more people but forces you to actually put yourself out there.
- Breaking into group
Garnering the courage to move around is the first step. Taking the next step of breaking into a group and joining their conversations is the next step. However, this is not an easy feat and many people I have spoken to find this a challenge. This is especially so for people who are more introverted. This is a challenge for them as they tend to over-analyse the situation, think too much of the possible scenarios and not dare to initiate a conversation. But fret not, we have a solution over here. The introverted ones can try sticking to a more extroverted friend. This way, the introverted person will feel more comfortable and find it easier to break into groups and form new conversations. The extroverted friend can take the opportunity to include his more introverted friend, encouraging him to participate more actively in conversations. This is definitely an effective way in becoming more outgoing.
- Active listening
“Listen to understand, not listen to reply”
In the fast-paced world we live in today, many people listen without understanding but listen just to provide a response. This is a worrying trend because conversations are quicker but deep conversations where two souls connect are much rarer. Humans are social creatures and we really need deep meaningful conversations to understand things from each other’s point of view and create a connection. In order to do that, we will need to slow down, take a deep breath and really listen from our heart. This will allow us to understand the other person better and provide a response that is adequate. The other party will feel touched as well since we really took the effort to understand them. Therefore, this will be a start to a meaningful connection to come.
- Keep in touch even after the party
Relationships like anything else in the world, needs to be nurtured and cultivated. Similar to plants, they need to be given sufficient nutrients, sunlight and water to grow stronger and taller. So, we would need to constantly touch base with our new friends, meet them for coffee or meals and really find out what they are doing in their lives. Show that you are genuinely interested in their lives and will put in the effort to maintain the friendship.
The benefits of such connections are endless. You might just meet your life partner here! Moreover, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to make more friends and connections. Even if you are not “friends” per say since you only met them once in a social situation, they may be able to connect you to other people. Therefore, this will provide you with more opportunities such as better job offers, business partnerships and so on. Attending parties are definitely not a waste of time and the opportunities it presents are endless. Apart from the good food, fun activities, you have the chance to widen your social circle and form many new connections that are priceless. Go out there and make an impression! I guarantee that this would be the most meaningful night spend even if you don’t see the benefits at the start.
Bibliography
Perry, Philip. “Can You Really Pick up on Good and Bad ‘Vibes’? Yes, Suggests New Research.” Big Think, Big Think, 13 July 2019, https://bigthink.com/sensing-vibes.
Person, and wikiHow. “How to Network at Parties.” WikiHow, WikiHow, 17 June 2018, https://www.wikihow.com/Network-at-Parties.