Confession. I am sucker for gift guides. And my inbox and social media feeds are full of them this week. It got me thinking about what an at-work holiday gift guide would look like. Here’s a start. It’s unsponsored (ha!) unedited (that’s the beauty of having your own blog!) and very much like the unscented, clean-burning soy candles on many influencers’ gift lists, it’s one-size-fits most. I hope you’ll read it with a sense of humor, as it’s intended—and forward it to your BFF at work, or maybe use it to spark conversations at your next team meeting.
Holiday (Or Not) Gift List – At-Work Edition
Top Ten Gifts for Your Coworkers
- Candid Feedback—Feedback is a gift. What have you not made time to share?
- Kudos for a Job Well Done—At any given point, there are so many people you could reach out to thank. Pick one.
- A Stretch Assignment—There’s someone on your team who needs this, along with your vote of confidence that they are ready.
- Exposure—Bring someone along to a meeting or ask someone to present in front of a key stakeholder.
- Sounding Board—Help someone by listening, asking questions, and letting them sort out the issue. Avoid giving advice.
- Coverage—Offer to cover for someone so they can TRULY step out when they need to.
- Connect—Who have you not talked to in months? Give them a call.
- No-Meeting Day—It is possible! Just try!
- No-Email Day—Also possible! Just try!
- Time Off—I mean really. Close the office.
Taking a step back, I see that there is some holiday spirit in this “silly” list after all. The themes that stand out to me are time, recognition, and connection. No gift receipt needed! Hope you receive at least one, and hope you give many.
