Giving presents to your friends and family is easy enough. Most of the time, you know these people well enough that you can pick a present that you know they’ll love with a decent amount of confidence. Plus, since these people love you very much, there’s also a good chance that if you do make a mistake, they’re not going to hold it against you.
On the other hand, giving gifts to people
in the office can be a bit of a more daunting experience. You don’t always know
your work colleagues as well as you would like, and if you choose the wrong
present, then you’re going to end up creating an uncomfortable work environment
for the weeks to come. Here are some dos and don’ts to get you on the right
track.
1.
Do Go for the Group Boss Gift
No-one wants to be responsible for giving the boss a gift
and looking as though they’re “kissing up”. You don’t want to take the risk of
being the only person to give a gift to the boss, or the only one who doesn’t,
so suggest a group gifting experience early instead. This way, you can all go
in on a more substantial and meaningful gift for your boss, without anyone
feeling uncomfortable.
If you absolutely have to give something
alone, then it’s best to stick to something simple and heart-felt, like a fun
plant for the office or a new tie. Stay away from anything too personal that
could come across the wrong way.
2.
Don’t Overdo It
Most people don’t expect to have to spend a
fortune on gifts for people in the office. Don’t be the one guy or girl who
makes everyone feel uncomfortable because you’ve spent a fortune on every
present. Instead, make sure you stick to a basic
budget. If it helps, you can all agree on a price limit together.
If you’re afraid that the present you buy
is going to look too cheap, then you could always add a little something extra
to it, as long as you’re careful about not going too far over the limit. It’s
also worth making sure that you don’t point out how much something costs if you
haven’t agreed on a limit in advance. That’s just going to make people
uncomfortable.
3.
Do Gift Discretely
If you’ve got a pretty large team, then you
might not be able to give everyone a huge gift individually. There are going to
be friends and closer people in your crew that you want to give presents to
without making anyone else feel uncomfortable, so give the gift outside of the
office. Whether it’s a promotion, a celebration for an engagement, or you just
want to buy something for their birthday, don’t make it obvious that you’ve
bought something.
Remember, if you’re not discrete enough
with your presents, then you run the risk of your colleagues assuming that
you’re going to buy them a present whenever they have an occasion worth
celebrating.
4.
Don’t Give the Wrong Response
If you’re going to give gifts to people in
your office, there’s a good chance that you’ll receive a gift back from time to
time. Make sure you know how to respond in this situation. The last thing you
want to do is point out that you spent more when you bought them a gift for
their promotion than they spent on the present for your birthday, for instance.
Whatever the item might be, remember to
smile and say thank you, and show your genuine gratitude for this person
choosing to actually buy you something. Remember, even if you’ve bought
presents for them in the past, that doesn’t mean that they have to purchase
anything for you. Failing to say thank you properly could ruin the perception
that people have of you.
5.
Do Go Beyond Material Objects
You don’t have to feel guilty that you
haven’t got someone something if you’re concerned that they bought a present
for you on your birthday, but you haven’t done the same. Find a way to give
back with your words and actions.
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