Published on Wednesday, Jan 09, 2008
Who doesn’t like getting gifts! The simplest gift can make us feel cared for, rewarded and appreciated.
Then again, a dreadful quandary creeps in too. While finding the perfect holiday gift for your brother is challenging enough, imagine the nerve-wracking quicksand of choosing something for your colleague or boss!
With a string of festivities and the New Year just behind us, let’s once and for all clear the decks on gift giving in the workplace.
Exchanging gifts is acceptable during the holiday season, special festivals or a person’s birthday or engagement.
Generally, you can gift anyone from your colleagues, subordinates and boss to your employees, customers and business associates.
Whatever the occasion, a thoughtful gift can be pleasantly surprising and build lasting relationships. Gifting the boss is a token of appreciative esteem while between co-workers it cultivates a dash of camaraderie. When coming from the company, it becomes a special way of saying ‘We value you’.
Yet, a small misstep, and even the most well intentioned gift, can go horribly haywire – sending across the wrong message and becoming painfully embarrassing.
To ease the potential tension and struggle, here are a few rules of the gift-giving game:
Then again, a dreadful quandary creeps in too. While finding the perfect holiday gift for your brother is challenging enough, imagine the nerve-wracking quicksand of choosing something for your colleague or boss!
With a string of festivities and the New Year just behind us, let’s once and for all clear the decks on gift giving in the workplace.
Exchanging gifts is acceptable during the holiday season, special festivals or a person’s birthday or engagement.
Generally, you can gift anyone from your colleagues, subordinates and boss to your employees, customers and business associates.
Whatever the occasion, a thoughtful gift can be pleasantly surprising and build lasting relationships. Gifting the boss is a token of appreciative esteem while between co-workers it cultivates a dash of camaraderie. When coming from the company, it becomes a special way of saying ‘We value you’.
Yet, a small misstep, and even the most well intentioned gift, can go horribly haywire – sending across the wrong message and becoming painfully embarrassing.
To ease the potential tension and struggle, here are a few rules of the gift-giving game:
Toe the line
Some companies practise a mandatory gift-giving culture, while some place restrictive policies that outrightly forbid the practice. Others take the easy way out and throw parties, lunches or potlucks sans any additional gifting.
Therefore, it is best to check out the employee handbook or consult the HR manager to grasp the clear guidelines on what is and is not acceptable when exchanging presents as well as price limits, if any. In the absence of an express policy, check with your colleagues/boss on the informal office tradition or what has been done in the past.
Some companies practise a mandatory gift-giving culture, while some place restrictive policies that outrightly forbid the practice. Others take the easy way out and throw parties, lunches or potlucks sans any additional gifting.
Therefore, it is best to check out the employee handbook or consult the HR manager to grasp the clear guidelines on what is and is not acceptable when exchanging presents as well as price limits, if any. In the absence of an express policy, check with your colleagues/boss on the informal office tradition or what has been done in the past.
When it comes to colleagues
Gifting personal friends in the interoffice realm will definitely alienate other co-workers and create resentment. Avoid polluting the team environment by gifting selective colleagues away from work. Then again, gifting someone you don’t know well just for the heck of it can put him on the spot and create hurt feelings especially if there are income differences or other financial pressures.
Gifting personal friends in the interoffice realm will definitely alienate other co-workers and create resentment. Avoid polluting the team environment by gifting selective colleagues away from work. Then again, gifting someone you don’t know well just for the heck of it can put him on the spot and create hurt feelings especially if there are income differences or other financial pressures.
Do you give your boss a present?
It is generally advisable to skip ‘gifting up’; stick to a nice ‘thank you’ note to express your respect and appreciation for superiors. As individual gifts are sure to be interpreted as an undisguised attempt to curry favour, employees can, at best, chip in with a group gift for the boss where no one feels obligated or left out.
It is generally advisable to skip ‘gifting up’; stick to a nice ‘thank you’ note to express your respect and appreciation for superiors. As individual gifts are sure to be interpreted as an undisguised attempt to curry favour, employees can, at best, chip in with a group gift for the boss where no one feels obligated or left out.
What to give?
An ideal gift is one that creates a pleasant feeling and has utility, ornamental value or is a keepsake at the least. Therefore, choose something appropriate keeping the recipient and his tastes, hobbies, likes and dislikes in mind.
It should not be anything too cheap or exorbitant, but a thoughtful item that you know the receiver will appreciate or can use. Also, consider people’s feelings, age and gender differences when choosing a present.
‘Safe bet’ gifts include stationery, calendars, clocks, books, picture frames, flowers, gift certificates and the like. Or, you can even opt for classic desk accessories, small leather goods, food baskets or fine chocolates. While fancy choices are almost endless, always pass up on personal items like lotions, perfumes and clothing.
Employers can customise their gifts to employees and clients with company-branded promotional items or even personalised presents with the receiver’s name/initials monogrammed on the same. For instance a top BPO distributed branded jackets this Diwali, while a software giant gave Formula One clocks embedded in pen stands. But, what will be appreciated most is a bonus, holiday or just additional time off!
Whatever you choose to give, do wrap it nicely as it adds value to the gift and says a lot about the type of person you are. Also, adding a personal note will go a long way in making the gift heartfelt and meaningful.
As writer, Susan Heathfield says, “Remember that a card and a thoughtful verbal exchange are often all that is needed for your boss or co-worker to feel recognised and rewarded!”
So, always spread joy and cheer by gifting something that is both beautiful and memorable.
An ideal gift is one that creates a pleasant feeling and has utility, ornamental value or is a keepsake at the least. Therefore, choose something appropriate keeping the recipient and his tastes, hobbies, likes and dislikes in mind.
It should not be anything too cheap or exorbitant, but a thoughtful item that you know the receiver will appreciate or can use. Also, consider people’s feelings, age and gender differences when choosing a present.
‘Safe bet’ gifts include stationery, calendars, clocks, books, picture frames, flowers, gift certificates and the like. Or, you can even opt for classic desk accessories, small leather goods, food baskets or fine chocolates. While fancy choices are almost endless, always pass up on personal items like lotions, perfumes and clothing.
Employers can customise their gifts to employees and clients with company-branded promotional items or even personalised presents with the receiver’s name/initials monogrammed on the same. For instance a top BPO distributed branded jackets this Diwali, while a software giant gave Formula One clocks embedded in pen stands. But, what will be appreciated most is a bonus, holiday or just additional time off!
Whatever you choose to give, do wrap it nicely as it adds value to the gift and says a lot about the type of person you are. Also, adding a personal note will go a long way in making the gift heartfelt and meaningful.
As writer, Susan Heathfield says, “Remember that a card and a thoughtful verbal exchange are often all that is needed for your boss or co-worker to feel recognised and rewarded!”
So, always spread joy and cheer by gifting something that is both beautiful and memorable.
PAYAL A.
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