Maybe I am alone in this, but what to do about gifts in the office during the holiday season is something that makes me anxious each year. I want my team members and support staff to feel appreciated, but I do not want them to feel like they need to reciprocate. I am never sure who to include if I do go the route of office gifting; how far down in my organization should I go? And then there is the question about what to do for your boss or other senior people in the organization: what could I get them that they could possibly want even if I want to do something nice?
As an employee and a boss, I personally never expect a holiday gift. (And I always feel less anxious when I remind myself of this fact!) Different people have unique holidays that are celebrated in many ways, so no one should feel bad deciding to do nothing.
That said, a little gift or thoughtful card at the end of the year can go a long way. One executive I worked with recounted the story that one of the other divisions of his company sent him a bottle of champagne at the end of the year with a personal note thanking him for all his help. The executive commented that when that division asked for help the following year, he made sure to help them even when he didn’t have time to help other divisions with similar requests. I’m sure we all have similar experiences that reinforce this concept; a little thoughtfulness today can pay big dividends down the road. And if you happen to love the holidays like me, it’s fun to bring nicely wrapped gifts to the office and add a bit of festive excitement to the office for a day.
For those of you who want to do something more at year end, I have compiled a list of proven ideas and best practices grouped by cost to help you think through your options.
Zero budget gift ideas
Sometimes giving someone your time is more valuable than a gift. Writing someone a hand written note about all the things you have appreciated about them this year or what you have learned from them in the past year may be the best gift you can give regardless of cost. Research by Psychological Sciences found here shows that people universally “undervalue” gratitude. Recipients value these letters often more than material gifts, so don’t be shy about putting pen to paper for the people who have helped you and made an impact. If you feel like writing isn’t your strong suit, there are plenty of ideas to get you started online. A few examples are included here.
Low cost gift ideas ($2 – $5 per person)
A nice holiday card goes a long way. The CEO of the company I work for sends everyone at our company (which is more than 4,000 people) a personal holiday card with a picture of his family. I love receiving it every year and am always touched that he wants to reach out to each employee. I am equally touched when my team members include me on their holiday card list.
Moderate budget ideas ($15 – $30 per person)
An easy gift idea is to send people fruit boxes. Places like Harry and David almost always have sales around the holiday and the box of fresh pears like the ones featured here is a perfect office gift. I usually do fruit instead of wine or alcohol because some religions prohibit alcohol and you never know who might have a problem with it.
A second easy idea is gifting people a book that you choose. Books could be about a business related topic (there are some great compilations of the best business books here and here.) It could also be a fun book unrelated to work (perhaps a book about something that interests your colleague or a best-selling autobiography.)
If you want to do something a bit more creative (and are willing to put in a bit more legwork), one of my favorite gifts for my direct reports and colleagues was a “NYE in a Box” gift. I bought 10 basic gift boxes on Amazon and filled them with all sorts of New Year’s Eve treats: NYE glasses, mini bottles of champagne, party horns, chocolate, and party poppers.
Cost is no object ideas
While spending too much on an office gift is probably a bad idea, there are some great gifts that fall into the $50 – $100 range. One gift that is always a winner is the gift of food; sending a pre-made pie or cinnamon rolls that only need to be put in the oven are always appreciated (although they typically require knowledge of a home address.) Other winning ideas include bouquets or wreaths to help decorate a house for the holidays, a family game or puzzle to use when spending time with relatives, or something “techie” like an Amazon Spot or Echo.
In summary
I hope some of these ideas have been helpful. If nothing listed here works for you, an old fashioned google search will no doubt yield many other ideas during the holiday season. Please share any winning office gifting ideas you have used or are considering or have received; communal input is always appreciated.
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