By guest blogger LaFritte.
For everyone I know the end of the year is an incredibly busy period. I wonder why? It’s not that Christmas changes the date every year like the Ramadan does, according to the moon or other sorts of natural laws.
No, as far as I remember it has ALWAYS BEEN ON THE 24.12, no day earlier, no day later. Which means that even with half a brain we should be able to plan ahead, right, instead of moving everything to the last minute? So, why is it then that everybody is running around like a lunatic, obsessed with “finishing things” like reports, position papers, projects etc. before the holiday season as if some kind of apocalypse swept all world population away on 24 of December?
Apart from being a month of reasonably contemplative time, December is also excelling in social and professional buzz: a sheer endless number of conferences, workshops, meetings, committees and subgroups, expert groups, followed by working breakfasts, working lunches and receptions. Some of you might be fond of all those gatherings and attend voluntarily; others need to by obligation, duty or pure desperation.
For all those falling into the second category (including me) I have prepared a little survival kit that might help in making this period a little more enjoyable.
1. When coming to a seated dinner, make wise decisions beforehand. Observe quickly and listen carefully, who looks likeable, fun and capable of speaking your language? Choose an open position at a table. Never let yourself get squeezed in between old Portuguese, Greek or Spanish guys– unless you speak their language. Evidence based experience has shown that their English is crap and you will be suffering the whole evening by listening to stories you don’t understand
2. If you have difficulties retaining the names of your interlocutors, try making memory hooks. Brian (the bright guy with the ...) Sarah ( talked bullshit like Sarah Palin)
Robin (..Who robbed me my time) etc.
3. For conferences: Learn the Japanese technique of mini-sleeps while staying awake.
4. If there is Internet where you are, you are saved. If not, always have a scrapbook with you. Maybe the idea of a bestselling novel will come right after the moment this old man next to you had fallen asleep in his chair.
5. If you exchange business cards, and the conversation was good always scribble on the back of the card the date and something that will remind you of the person. It will be much easier to catch up afterwards.
6. Learn how to escape. There is a time and moment and you will know it.
7. Learn how to tell jokes
8. Drink some alcohol and relax. The others at the reception are as lost as you are and need to warm up as well.
9. Always have chewing gum with you and a spray deo in your bag. You don’t want to shy away people with your bad odor, do you?( unless this is a strategy to keep people away from you)
10. Experiment, be genuinely interested: most people are
happy not to talk about work at receptions so don’t bore your counterparts with the directive on low voltage standardization.
11. Don’t whine. Stand up and speak up, ask questions, the
bold ones and the ones nobody would dare to ask. People will be relieved somebody gets out there. You will definitely have interesting discussions afterwards and who knows maybe find out that the workshop you are at is finally not as dull as you thought.
12. See it strategically: how many breakfasts, lunches or dinners have you saved by attending all of those meetings in one month?
LaFritte is a blogger for Bruxpat. Conceived somewhere in the East-south, born somewhere in Eastern Europe, raised in the middle of Central Europe, she stranded on the Western shore of this continent a couple of years ago. She loves Belgian imperfections, the fact that everybody seem to be permanently stuck in an identity crisis, creative chaos and the rare sunny spells that occasionally fall on this country. When this happens Brussels transforms itself completely turning into one of the most vibrant places - which reminds her why she is still living here.
