Welcome back, everyone! Today, across several corporate industries, many of you are embarking on a fun-filled day of March Madness celebrations. Whether your corporate team gathers internally to compete over a shared bracket, ventures to carrier or client events across your city (likely in bar settings), or acts as the host to your clients, today is undoubtedly filled with endless networking opportunities. So, we thought it no better time than now to ensure you’re well prepared to understand what professionalism looks like at these types of celebrations, while also having… fun!

Nailing March Madness with Professionalism

The main focus of the below is guidance surrounding drinking behaviors in work environments. You may not be sitting in the office, but remember that you are still with coworkers, leadership, clients, and professional peers, and should behave the same way as you would within a corporate setting. The key to these types of events is engaging with your limitations and making sure to enjoy yourself! So, identify your balance below and ensure that you won’t have to ever feel ‘work scaries’.

Mandatory? The begging question is, are these events mandatory?! The short answer is yes, and the long answer is no. Realistically, you cannot be forced to attend an event that occurs outside of your work obligations and hours. However, you should always prioritize engagement and participation in company events when able. These are special times, both during and outside of work hours, when you are afforded a special chance to get to know your teammates, partners, and clients on a personal level. So, always try to go (even if you’re only stopping by to ‘show face’)!
- Extra Tip: If you have an obligation that you absolutely cannot miss that conflicts with your work events, ensure that you inform your management of the reason why you cannot attend as far in advance as possible! That way, your team can also set expectations about internal attendance and ‘divide and conquer’ if, and as needed.
Typical Duration/Length: You can expect to spend, on average, approximately 2-3 hours at work happy hours or after-hours corporate events…. however, today is more of an extravaganza! Personally, the events our team plans to attend span from 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM. That being said, and especially today more than any other day of the year, remember that it’s a marathon! It’s easy to get excited upon arriving at the first corporate space, but make sure that you’re pacing yourself out so you can handle several hours of drinking, socializing, and networking without going over the top or overly intoxicating yourself.
- Extra Tip: If you have plans after, are tired, or are struggling to maintain your social battery, make sure to stay for an appropriate amount of time (and attend all events you RSVP’d to), and then understand that you can leave. After all, you are dedicating additional hours to ‘work’ even if it doesn’t feel like it, and leadership knows that you have a personal life to get back to afterward.
Pairing Drinks with Food and Water! We’re all adults here, but it’s always worth reading the reminder that mixing a cocktail, beer, or glass of wine with an appetizer and glass of water is key to offsetting the effects of alcohol. You never want to find yourself in a situation where you are overly intoxicated around work peers, so balancing alcohol is crucial to your engagement and self-awareness at happy hours and events. If there isn’t going to be food at the event, make sure to pack a snack or eat a larger lunch. Additionally, while there is almost always water wherever you’ll be, packing an extra bottle never hurts! A 1:1 ratio of a drink and either a snack or glass of water is a great way to create balance and hold yourself accountable.
- Extra Tip: Steer Clear of Shots! On the same note, we highly encourage you to steer clear of shots and even ‘hard liquor’ when able. These types of drinks will undoubtedly have a more rapid and intense effect on your awareness and alcohol levels, so be super mindful of ingesting these types of drinks as well as the impact they have on you specifically.
Positive Chat Only! Finally, we know that ‘loose’ feeling that comes with a few drinks. However, we encourage you to avoid ANY gossiping with coworkers, clients, carriers, leadership, or management! Remember that you are held to what you say and how you behave in and outside of the office, so ensuring that there are only ever positive things that people have to say about you will pay off in the long run as it relates to your professional reputation. So, even if you are pulled for a chat and to share the ‘tea’, zip those lips!
Follow-ups and Thank You Notes: While this is more of a post-event, Friday tip, we highly encourage you to send out reminders early and promptly. Especially if you’re in the position of being entertained by a client, remember to thank them for putting on a successful event, taking the time to invite your team, and elongating your professional friendship/relationship! It’s super crucial to display your gratitude whenever possible, and a quick follow-up when the event is still top of mind is the perfect way to do so.

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