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Casual Articles - How to Organize a Successful Bad Sweater Party
Using active listening through a spat is the first move you can take to mitigate the situation and crack whatever problems have surfaced. Realize, nonetheless, that when people feel strongly about an issue, their emotions will impact their ability to correspond and listen. It is imperative therefore to utilize a blend of active and reflective listening skills. Here are five methods you can use to defuse conflicts and enhance effective communication.1. Condemn the issue or behavior, not the person. By dealing with the issue or the behavior, you evade attacking the other person. If you are "arguing" with your teen about a curfew, stick to the issue of the curfew or to his actions of breaching curfew. Don't sco
What Should I Wear?
Think about the big question guests ask before attending any party:
“What’s the dress code?”
This always creates ambiguity and often times, improper dress – over or under – can cause guests to feel uncomfortable and therefore unwilling to communicate. But with a theme, you know exactly what to wear, i.e., a bad sweater.
Apprehension
Themes enhance parties and events because they reduce uncertainty, which is one of the major barriers to communication. The reason people often feel so uncomfortable at parties is because they don't "fit in." But when everyone makes the effort to adhere to the theme, everybody fits in, no matter who they are, where they came from or how many people they know.
Breaking the Ice
Think of all the parties you
While many business professionals understand the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle as it pertains to process improvement, the model doesn’t work particularly well for dealing with changes in individual or organizational behaviors. However, an alternative model based on Gestalt psychology can be very useful, and consists of four major phases.1. Awareness – Significant change is unlikely to occur if the entity is not aware of the need for change, which is why feedback mechanisms are necessary. Individual performance appraisals, customer satisfaction surveys, and reviews of organizational & process performance metrics are intended to provide opportunities to raise awareness. Unfortunately it’s often only when t
“A what party?!” I said.
“A Bad Sweater Party. Wait a minute…you mean to tell me you’ve never been to a Bad Sweater Party before?” asked Amber.
“Guess not,” I admitted.
A Bad Sweater Party is exactly what you think it is: A party at which the guests wear bad sweaters.
Nobody can be certain where this idea originated. It’s possible that it came about during the 80’s when ALL sweaters were bad sweaters. Nevertheless, my first Bad Sweater Party experience was, without a doubt, one of the most enjoyable nights I have ever had. (And I only knew one person there!)
One week before the party I began to plan out my wardrobe. Looking through my drawers, I couldn’t find anything that could have been classified as a “bad sweater.” At least, that’s what I told myself. I figured that since the bulk of the bad sweaters in the world were worn between 1971 and 1994, a thrift store was my best bet for scoring some particularly heinous gear.
When I went to my local Goodwill I approached the counter and asked, “Hi, I’m looking for the ugliest, most out dated, eye sore of a sweater known to man – got anything like that?"
“You must be going to a bad sweater party, huh?”
“Yeah, how did you know that!?”
“I’ve been to a few myself – they’re loads of a fun. Come on, let’s see what piece of crap we can find for you today sir.”
After a good 20 minutes of searching, I found my sweater. I was so bad, it was beautiful! It looked like something your colorblind grandfather wore at a holiday Christmas Party in 1972 that, if it were any tighter, might have also doubled as a leotard.
And I loved it.
“I’ll take it!” I said.
Two dollars and forty nine cents later, Amber and I arrived at the Bad Sweater Party. She sported a purple, blue and turquoise gem that could have easily been stolen from the wardrobe room of the Cosby Show. And although I was slightly self conscious about the skin-tightness of my snowflake laden top – as well as not knowing anybody there - everything changed when we walked in the door…
“Hey!! What’s up guys, come on in!” said the host, “Wow those are the ugliest sweaters I’ve ever seen! I love ‘em!”
“Thanks man! Your sweater sucks too! My name is Scott - I’m a friend of Amber’s."
“Well it’s great to meet you, thanks for dressing up! I’m Joe, welcome to my house.”
When I walked in, I saw sweaters of every decade, every color, every style and every brand. It almost became a game to see who could have the worst sweater of all. But the best part was - the sweaters were horrible, and nobody seemed to care! The crowd was booming with laughter and beaming with positive energy. Everyone talked to everyone. Everyone complimented everyone. And for the next four hours, I experienced the most unbelievable sense of ease, comfort and approachability with a group of complete strangers.
When I got home later that night, I realized that any time you use party themes – especially outrageous ones - they have an invaluable effect on the connectedness of the guests:
Invite Only
How many times have you been invited to a party that didn’t sound that inviting?
“Robbie’s having a party on Saturday – you should come.”
Great, see ya there.
On the other hand, when you hear about a theme party, it entices you:
“Come over to Robbie’s on Saturday for his annual Bad Sweater Party!”
Now that sounds like fun!
Preparation Solidifies Commitment
Themes also encourage people to go the extra mile. I remember asking other partiers where they had gotten their bad sweaters. Some told me they shopped at local vintage stores; others said they raided their parents’ closets while some even bought them on Ebay! But because they RSVP'ed, and because they searched or even bought a bad sweater, everyone was sure to have fun and stay late.
What Should I Wear?
Think about the big question guests ask before attending any party:
“What’s the dress code?”
This always creates ambiguity and often times, improper dress – over or under – can cause guests to feel uncomfortable and therefore unwilling to communicate. But with a theme, you know exactly what to wear, i.e., a bad sweater.
Apprehension
Themes enhance parties and events because they reduce uncertainty, which is one of the major barriers to communication. The reason people often feel so uncomfortable at parties is because they don't "fit in." But when everyone makes the effort to adhere to the theme, everybody fits in, no matter who they are, where they came from or how many people they know.
Breaking the Ice
Think of all the parties you
When many people who are in charge of logistics look at how to improve their work, they are mostly concerned with speeding up the transportation of parts and decreasing machine time. One thing that many logistics people forget is that the actual design of the product can make a difference to how difficult it is to produce and machine. A good design not only focuses on how well the product will appear to the consumer on the open market, but it also places importance on how easy it is to machine the product. Many of the things that logistics managers worry about such as machine time and process automation, the design engineer should worry about also. When designing a particular product, the level of difficulty fo
When I went to my local Goodwill I approached the counter and asked, “Hi, I’m looking for the ugliest, most out dated, eye sore of a sweater known to man – got anything like that?"
“You must be going to a bad sweater party, huh?”
“Yeah, how did you know that!?”
“I’ve been to a few myself – they’re loads of a fun. Come on, let’s see what piece of crap we can find for you today sir.”
After a good 20 minutes of searching, I found my sweater. I was so bad, it was beautiful! It looked like something your colorblind grandfather wore at a holiday Christmas Party in 1972 that, if it were any tighter, might have also doubled as a leotard.
And I loved it.
“I’ll take it!” I said.
Two dollars and forty nine cents later, Amber and I arrived at the Bad Sweater Party. She sported a purple, blue and turquoise gem that could have easily been stolen from the wardrobe room of the Cosby Show. And although I was slightly self conscious about the skin-tightness of my snowflake laden top – as well as not knowing anybody there - everything changed when we walked in the door…
“Hey!! What’s up guys, come on in!” said the host, “Wow those are the ugliest sweaters I’ve ever seen! I love ‘em!”
“Thanks man! Your sweater sucks too! My name is Scott - I’m a friend of Amber’s."
“Well it’s great to meet you, thanks for dressing up! I’m Joe, welcome to my house.”
When I walked in, I saw sweaters of every decade, every color, every style and every brand. It almost became a game to see who could have the worst sweater of all. But the best part was - the sweaters were horrible, and nobody seemed to care! The crowd was booming with laughter and beaming with positive energy. Everyone talked to everyone. Everyone complimented everyone. And for the next four hours, I experienced the most unbelievable sense of ease, comfort and approachability with a group of complete strangers.
When I got home later that night, I realized that any time you use party themes – especially outrageous ones - they have an invaluable effect on the connectedness of the guests:
Invite Only
How many times have you been invited to a party that didn’t sound that inviting?
“Robbie’s having a party on Saturday – you should come.”
Great, see ya there.
On the other hand, when you hear about a theme party, it entices you:
“Come over to Robbie’s on Saturday for his annual Bad Sweater Party!”
Now that sounds like fun!
Preparation Solidifies Commitment
Themes also encourage people to go the extra mile. I remember asking other partiers where they had gotten their bad sweaters. Some told me they shopped at local vintage stores; others said they raided their parents’ closets while some even bought them on Ebay! But because they RSVP'ed, and because they searched or even bought a bad sweater, everyone was sure to have fun and stay late.
What Should I Wear?
Think about the big question guests ask before attending any party:
“What’s the dress code?”
This always creates ambiguity and often times, improper dress – over or under – can cause guests to feel uncomfortable and therefore unwilling to communicate. But with a theme, you know exactly what to wear, i.e., a bad sweater.
Apprehension
Themes enhance parties and events because they reduce uncertainty, which is one of the major barriers to communication. The reason people often feel so uncomfortable at parties is because they don't "fit in." But when everyone makes the effort to adhere to the theme, everybody fits in, no matter who they are, where they came from or how many people they know.
Breaking the Ice
Think of all the parties you
Owning your own business - it is the quintessential American Dream. Being your own boss, setting your own hours, and being responsible for all income that flows your way is incredibly appealing and being an entrepreneur is fantastic and extremely rewarding, if you have the personality for it. A recent study indicated that successful entrepreneurs share many common personality traits and that it is these traits, rather than education, family ties, experience or skills that indicate how successful they are or will become. So the question becomes “do I have the right personality for the business I want to start?” The following are 15 questions to ask yourself before you charge into the deep end:1. Is it importa
“Hey!! What’s up guys, come on in!” said the host, “Wow those are the ugliest sweaters I’ve ever seen! I love ‘em!”
“Thanks man! Your sweater sucks too! My name is Scott - I’m a friend of Amber’s."
“Well it’s great to meet you, thanks for dressing up! I’m Joe, welcome to my house.”
When I walked in, I saw sweaters of every decade, every color, every style and every brand. It almost became a game to see who could have the worst sweater of all. But the best part was - the sweaters were horrible, and nobody seemed to care! The crowd was booming with laughter and beaming with positive energy. Everyone talked to everyone. Everyone complimented everyone. And for the next four hours, I experienced the most unbelievable sense of ease, comfort and approachability with a group of complete strangers.
When I got home later that night, I realized that any time you use party themes – especially outrageous ones - they have an invaluable effect on the connectedness of the guests:
Invite Only
How many times have you been invited to a party that didn’t sound that inviting?
“Robbie’s having a party on Saturday – you should come.”
Great, see ya there.
On the other hand, when you hear about a theme party, it entices you:
“Come over to Robbie’s on Saturday for his annual Bad Sweater Party!”
Now that sounds like fun!
Preparation Solidifies Commitment
Themes also encourage people to go the extra mile. I remember asking other partiers where they had gotten their bad sweaters. Some told me they shopped at local vintage stores; others said they raided their parents’ closets while some even bought them on Ebay! But because they RSVP'ed, and because they searched or even bought a bad sweater, everyone was sure to have fun and stay late.
What Should I Wear?
Think about the big question guests ask before attending any party:
“What’s the dress code?”
This always creates ambiguity and often times, improper dress – over or under – can cause guests to feel uncomfortable and therefore unwilling to communicate. But with a theme, you know exactly what to wear, i.e., a bad sweater.
Apprehension
Themes enhance parties and events because they reduce uncertainty, which is one of the major barriers to communication. The reason people often feel so uncomfortable at parties is because they don't "fit in." But when everyone makes the effort to adhere to the theme, everybody fits in, no matter who they are, where they came from or how many people they know.
Breaking the Ice
Think of all the parties you
It is hard to be a stay at home mom. You deal with a lot of pressures that most people would not understand. Aside from the cooking, cleaning and kids, you also have the feeling of inadequacy, if you are anything like me. I Love being able to stay at home with the children and I no longer mind the household chores, but I still feel like I am not holding my own. Im sure it's the independent me that strives to do it all. I want to do all that and still make my own money.How can you manage to do all of this? Simple! I am a stay at home mom with two, let me stress that TWO babies and I am on the go 18 hours a day. Somehow it just wasn't enough, so I decided to do what most moms are doing and started se
When I got home later that night, I realized that any time you use party themes – especially outrageous ones - they have an invaluable effect on the connectedness of the guests:
Invite Only
How many times have you been invited to a party that didn’t sound that inviting?
“Robbie’s having a party on Saturday – you should come.”
Great, see ya there.
On the other hand, when you hear about a theme party, it entices you:
“Come over to Robbie’s on Saturday for his annual Bad Sweater Party!”
Now that sounds like fun!
Preparation Solidifies Commitment
Themes also encourage people to go the extra mile. I remember asking other partiers where they had gotten their bad sweaters. Some told me they shopped at local vintage stores; others said they raided their parents’ closets while some even bought them on Ebay! But because they RSVP'ed, and because they searched or even bought a bad sweater, everyone was sure to have fun and stay late.
What Should I Wear?
Think about the big question guests ask before attending any party:
“What’s the dress code?”
This always creates ambiguity and often times, improper dress – over or under – can cause guests to feel uncomfortable and therefore unwilling to communicate. But with a theme, you know exactly what to wear, i.e., a bad sweater.
Apprehension
Themes enhance parties and events because they reduce uncertainty, which is one of the major barriers to communication. The reason people often feel so uncomfortable at parties is because they don't "fit in." But when everyone makes the effort to adhere to the theme, everybody fits in, no matter who they are, where they came from or how many people they know.
Breaking the Ice
Think of all the parties you
The point at which you decide to look for a new job is a great time to take stock. After all when you move to a new job you are going to be in a different company in a new role which will take up a considerable part of your life. It make sense to ensure that it matches what you need at a personal level as well as meeting your economic and career development goals.Getting clear about what it is we really want, what’s important to us, is not something most of us spend much time on. This can be particularly true if we’ve worked for the same company or in the same industry for a long period of time. We get to know what expected. We know how things are done round here. And we have found a way to operate in th
What Should I Wear?
Think about the big question guests ask before attending any party:
“What’s the dress code?”
This always creates ambiguity and often times, improper dress – over or under – can cause guests to feel uncomfortable and therefore unwilling to communicate. But with a theme, you know exactly what to wear, i.e., a bad sweater.
Apprehension
Themes enhance parties and events because they reduce uncertainty, which is one of the major barriers to communication. The reason people often feel so uncomfortable at parties is because they don't "fit in." But when everyone makes the effort to adhere to the theme, everybody fits in, no matter who they are, where they came from or how many people they know.
Breaking the Ice
Think of all the parties you attended where people just sat around and stared at the wall. Exciting, huh?
Obviously it’s true what Adam Sandler said, “Initiating the conversation is half the battle.” The most effective way to break the ice at a party is to discuss your connection to the host - this generates a CPI, or common point of interest.
But with a theme party, the CPI is already established before you walk in the door. It’s impossible not to socialize with everyone. You can break the ice with anybody, anytime!
How do You Connect Your Guests?
Incorporating a theme into parties and meetings allows your guests to significantly increase their comfort level, approachability and friendliness. The Bad Sweater Party is merely one of many examples, so begin thinking of some theme ideas for your next event. Do this, and you'll never have to hear the phrase "that party sucked last night," again.
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