For some people the idea of attending obligatory holiday parties, whether for their own company or group or for a spouse's, is about as inviting as the Thanksgiving spread at a Waffle House®... Curb your enthusiasm.

The reality is this. It's a fantastic opportunity to meet those spouses of your friends and colleagues who may be involved in some very interesting career fields and know and entirely different range of people than those in your usually circle. 

Add to that the double dip of both being a spouse of an associate (who just might be interested in impressing you) and it is, after all, the "season of good will," and you have this once a year opportunity to move your typical networking to an entirely different, new and positive level.

Before you head to the festivities, make sure you have a pocket full of business cards and you've practiced your stump speech... and made sure you've modified it so that if you're saying your spiel while standing beside one of your partners, it just sounds like something your interested in, an avocation, not your attempt to jump ship. 

Because the word at these events usually is "mingle," don't try to seal a deal unless you're invited. Focus on setting up private meetings in the upcoming weeks. And, another plus of the "Season," is that many businesses slow down and scheduling meetings may be much easier than after the new year, and new earnings quarter, start up in January.