Drinking Your Way Up the Ladder
zevgroup.com
zevgroup.com
We've tried a lot of different formats: coffee shop, lectures and presentations. None of them work for us quite as well as going to a bar and chatting. We've thought a lot about this over the past two years.
People instinctively understand that when they go to a bar, they are there to relax and have a good time. A lot of times, people are really stressed out from a long day at work, and would like to have a drink, unwind and chat. People don't tend to unwind in a coffee shop or a restaurant. While I've certainly enjoyed the lobby chat at conferences I've been to, but bar talk with the geeks at hackers and founders tends to be a lot better imho.
I'd also say, that the best business relationships that I've developed have involved social alcohol. I grew up in a teetotaler household, and I've made a point of learning how to drink socially and responsibly. Frankly, it requires practice. I think it's actually a pretty valuable social skill to have in the startup world.
Final point. We've pretty much standardized on having alcohol at every Hackers and Founders Silicon Valley, and I have yet to see a single person get drunk, or concern me that they were going to be unsafe while driving.
If you've recently started somewhere, and feeling a little disconnected from the rest of the team, get down the pub or bar with them and you will definitely notice the difference the next day. It's also true to say the heavier the session the more the bonding.
If I say, "let's go go-carting," that requires planning weeks in advance, and a substantial budget. Most people will turn up, and it will be a good bonding session.
If I say, "let's go to the restaurant," that requires a little bit of planning (days ahead), and a decent budget. A number of people won't turn up, and it will be an ok bonding session, depending on the type of restaurant and entertainment available.
If I say, "let's go for a drink," that requires no planning, and hardly any budget (just enough for a couple of rounds). Most people will turn up for at least the beginning unless they already have plans, and it will be a good bonding session.
All in all, the drinking session is very good bang for your buck - despite the health side-effects. Because of that, as the article suggests, it's unlikely to be replaced by anything else any time soon. Alcohol is a great social lubricant, and yes, if you don't want to drink at all, your career progression may be impaired in some companies.
As the article points out, though, even in heavy drinking environments, there are ways to "cheat" and be a part of the drinking without getting drunk all the time. It's very hard to get away with no drinking though.
Yes, there benefits of going out for drinks. Those haven't been disputed, that I can see.
The heavy drinking comes from ancien regime/Wall Street machismo culture, but keep in mind that most of these guys have been drinking for a while and many are overweight. If you can't keep up with them without getting yourself into a compromised position, don't try.
There are plenty of good reasons why some wouldn't want to drink alcohol -- religion, an alcoholic in the family, being a recovering alcoholic themselves, etc.
With that said, yeah, drinking with your teammates is a great way to get to know them better. You can all rant about random little things, take absurd positions in arguments, and it's all ok! And everyone eventually gets a turn to make a fool of themselves, so we end up accepting each other more -- shared secrets & all :-)
Generally yes. There might be groups that would give you a hard time, but in pretty much every job or social circle I've been a part of, there's been at least one non-drinker; some for religious reasons, some recovering alcoholics, some just for personal preference. I've never seen someone excluded because of that.
I can't be drunk for medical reasons, but I can tolerate a beer or two. I get one of my favorite beers (I'm only having one so I can make it an expensive one) and then drink water for the rest of the evening.
If you aren't someone who prefers not to drink, you probably don't really understand where the pressure comes from.
Every single time you go out with new people, people make comments on your lack of drinking. Either the fact that you ordered a 7-up or that it's been 3 hours and you still haven't finished your first beer. Plus the bar itself is designed to sell alcohol, so there's inherent pressure just by being there.
My primary career (IT) doesn't involve a lot of people going out drinking on a regular basis. But I sing for fun, and in that field people are constantly out late, and yes there is pressure to drink. EVERYONE who goes out drinks more than me, and even people I've known for a year or more still make comments. And lately I've had to skip the drinking night because I have to be up at 6:30 AM the next morning for a meeting. I feel much better physically and mentally but I'm socially out of touch.
Plus, there's the matter of being at the bar when your regular bedtime passes and your melatonin starts kicking in. All the drinkers don't even notice and sit around yammering for another hour or four while you sit there yawning.
Some of us who do choose to drink at times also choose not to drink on certain occasions - e.g. weeknight w/ workout or yoga at 0630. There's definite social pressure to drink at a "drinking establishment" but I don't recall anyone ever wedging my jaws open and funneling beer down my throat.
Hold your own frame and never let your reality be dominated by the throwaway comments of others.
If you want to use a decoy, get a 1/2 cranberry / 1/2 soda with a wedge of lime. Looks like a "real" drink.
That's really why I made the post. Just to explain that this study fully understands that most people do not have beer forced down their throats and instead examined broader trends. My point was to show that there is a whole spectrum between not feeling any pressure and being threatened at gunpoint.
I wish someone taught me the strategy of socializing over drinks. As an introvert, I avoided these kind of events and really didn't get anywhere in terms of progressing through the corporate ranks. Realizing that I needed to change me behavior, I started joining these events. It really is a good opportunity to grease the bureaucratic wheels found in corporation to get things done during the work day. It's a teachable skill.
Now my work day really doesn't end when I leave the office. It's "business beers" in the evenings.
I think that being it is being sociable with others that helps you move up rather than specifically drinking.
Maybe you earn more in the investigated industries if you are an outgoing "people person". And maybe you are more likely to drink if you are outgoing. It's the old causation/correlation thing. But still interesting.
I appreciate it's an unfair test and that only the dumbest candidates wouldn't realise that this is part of the interview process but being outside of the office, having an opportunity to talk with the people that you'll work with gives the candidate as much of a view of whether or not they want to work with us as the other way around.
There would be workplaces which work the other way, where people abstaining from alcoholic fueled after work events look more favourable.
On the other hand, I know a lot of small businesses that have been hit very badly by a partner or early employee with drinking, gambling, or other character issues. They tend to be much less into the alcoholism. Social drinking's one thing, but the "3-martini lunch" is ridiculous. Software isn't like Mad Men.