Putting in a 40-hour week can be stressful and long. By Friday you just want to have fun with friends and co-workers. Leave the office behind and break the ice with some of our tips!

Break the ice

• Meeting someone for the first time? Have a strong handshake. A handshake is
  the initial contact you make, so make it memorable and don’t give the person a “dead fish”. To learn more from Donald Trump click here.
• Find out what you have in common. Discovering common interests will lead you
  to good conversation.
• Ask open ended questions instead of questions with one word answers.
  An example of this would be, “What are your plans for this up coming weekend?” rather than, “What is your favorite color?”
• Actively listen; make sure you are genuinely interested in what the other person is saying. To learn more about active listening visit Mind Tools
• Make eye contact. Don’t be staring off into space or looking passed the person you are speaking to.
• Smile!

What to keep in mind

• Work will continue on Monday, so do not do anything that will embarrass you.
• Picking a venue is important. The venue sets the atmosphere for everyone. If your focus is on conversation and interaction you may want to pick a comfortable café or if you are more focused on letting loose, a club with loud music and a bar maybe a better venue choice.
  

Dos and Don’ts

Do

• Do get to know them better people better. Make conversation with co-workers that allows you get to know them.
• Do have fun, relax, and enjoy yourself.
• Do be yourself. Don’t put on an act or pretend you are someone else.
• Do use manners; be polite, be respectful, open doors, use please and thank you, and excuse yourself when necessary.
• Do be aware of the amount of alcohol consumption.
  

Don’t

• Don’t be inappropriate.
• Don’t be too personal. You do not need to let everyone know your life story and remember not to pry at personal information of other co-workers.
• Don’t come dressed in inappropriate attire. Make sure slogans on attire are not offensive.
• Don’t gossip about other employees.
  

Overall, make sure that you have a great and relaxing time out but keep these tips in mind. You want to be able to go back to work with your co-workers and have them still respect you and your hard work.