10 Things You Don't Want To Say When Having Dinner At Your Boss's House

The Grindstone:

According to Wendy Komac, a workplace expert and author of I Work with Crabby Crappy People, the goal for having dinner with your boss should be about making a positive impression in an environment outside of the workplace. Most importantly, no matter how casual the party may feel, always remember that they are still your boss, she added.

Roshini Rajkumar career expert, executive communication and image coach said, first of all take it as a compliment you've been invited over to the boss's house. "Know this could be a career-defining moment, not to put too much pressure on yourself... With that being said, be yourself," she said. But at the same time you need to be an amplified version of yourself with the manners and etiquette of Emily Post, the wit of Aaron Sorkin and the style of Audrey Hepburn. Here are 10 things you should definitely not say when having dinner at your boss's house plus some great advice from career experts.

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Comments

[Bor Zoi]

08:31 PM on 11/17/2011

7 - I would fire anyone who would actually take a “promotion” that resulted in a net loss in real income. That just shows he doesn’t know how to negotiate and can’t do a simple net-present-value calculation. (When offered a "promotion" to HQ)

8 - Who got promoted to headquarters? Really? The last time that much dead weight from America hit Europe, we were invading Normandy. (After I turned down the promotion)

9 - Did we really need a midget prostitute to help our Interior Finishing sales? (She really was)

10 - When you wrote me up the first two times, I gave you responses to let you see my side of the situation since you are new and you may not know. As you can see, I have documentation supporting my position. Now I have been patient, but if you try that a third time, there's a good chance you will be wrong again, I won't provide a response, two of my best friends are labor attorneys who've I've already spoken to about the situation (and they said they'll represent me for free), and I'll own half this company after the lawsuit. By the way, if you try it again, I’ll cut your g’d hand off. (He thought he would score points with his superiors; they promoted someone over him after I was let go.)

I took the severance and was in San Diego for two months before finding work!

[Bor Zoi]

08:30 PM on 11/17/2011

Not quite at a dinner party, but here's mine from my last job:

1 - I could have done this job in high school. (At my performance review)

2 - That’s the decision? Thank God we are not a publicly traded company.

3 - No – I’m not going to be a sales manager. If I wanted to manage kids, I’d have run a daycare. (At my performance review)

4 - That's not retarded: that’s 3-tarded.

5 - Why do I have to take a sales manager’s job when you didn’t – and everyone knows you’re in over your head. (To the Marketing Director who was fired months later due to performance)

6 - If my presentation is wrong, I need your help to correct this. But if you guys are complaining about the order of the slides, then this group’s just sad (To senior management at a product review presentation)

[signgrrl]

02:28 PM on 11/13/2011

"you mean, there are dinner plates that AREN'T paper ?? "

[RhiannonRings]

01:19 PM on 11/13/2011

People still have dinner at "The Boss's house?"

[DSevere]

06:18 PM on 11/12/2011

I guess all of this is true in the "normal" 9 to 5 world. Since my husband and I have a small creative business, we ARE the bosses, and periodically have freelance employees over for dinner. We only have a couple of rules:

1. Do not let the dogs get out the front door.
2. If you must smoke cigarettes or pot, do so out in back and do not try to get the dogs high.
3. Do not touch/screw up computers' external hard drives or other electronics.
4. Do not get so toasty you have to spend the night or hit us up for a $200 cab ride.

Other than that, we don't care, just be yourself and have fun. (I'm glad we live in our world and not the one in the article... ;) )

[RhiannonRings]

01:19 PM on 11/13/2011

It sounds mind numbing, doesn't it?

[DSevere]

01:44 PM on 11/13/2011

Yes, it sounds like a miserable evening all around...

[richardcheese02]

02:53 PM on 11/11/2011

"Who wants to do some body shots?" "Anyone up for hide the stapler?" "By the way sir, I will be sure not to tell your wife about Jill in accounting. Your secret is safe with me!"

[KarateKid]

02:28 PM on 11/11/2011

"Mr. Cain, what were you thinking when you developed that _Oreo pizza?"

[larmarch5]

01:45 PM on 11/11/2011

"Mr. Cain, WHAT are you DOING? I didn't come here for THAT."

[b4pangea]

12:10 PM on 11/11/2011

Amazing that anyone needs this stuff spelled out but I guess some do.

[skepticalindenver]

01:56 PM on 11/11/2011

I think it is the trend....the dumbing down of America. I couldn't imagine 30 years ago an article like this being published in anything but a rag with very few subscriptions.