Buttering up the boss is a fine art. And with the season of goodwill around the corner, you need to do it just right. Giving your boss gifts at Christmas is not about going big or going home, but it’s about making sure they have something that nobody else has got them. Everybody considers buying a little gift for their boss at Christmas, but they’ve got money to burn in comparison to you, making getting the right gift a bit difficult. So if you really want to show them your appreciation but without being overly groveling, what sort of gifts should you get?
For Your Line Manager You Can Chat With…
Next generation consoles, beautiful box sets, and more
It’s nice to have a good working relationship with your superiors. And when it is someone you see every day and they are relaxed and down-to-earth, it makes life a lot easier. You can treat them like a friend, even though you don’t see them outside of the office! And when you are on the same page, conversations swing around to the usual topics, from television to movies and gaming. If you are both keen gamers, no doubt, talk has arisen of the PS5. And if you have been excitedly building up to the release of the PS5 for the last 6 months despite lockdown measures forcing you to work at home, there are a variety of gifts to get for a new PS5 owner to suit your budget. From a modest gift voucher to a controller, there’s plenty to choose from.
For the Boss That Has Everything…
Being low in the pecking order means that if you want to impress your boss, you’ve got to go beyond your financial limitations. While this is not easy in the slightest, you’ve got to go back to the scene in Wall Street where Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), upon trying to impress Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), brings in a box of contraband Cuban cigars. Not that we are trying to get you to break the law or anything, but if you really want to impress the boss, you’ve got to go beyond the typical parameters! The best thing you can do is to get something that is useful to them. Look at their work environment- what adds value to it? At the same time, you need to make sure that your gift is not pointing out flaws in their working methods. But this is such a fine balance to get right. A little thing that you could get for them would be a new daily planner. But it’s got to be good quality. We’re talking Moleskine quality here! Moleskine is a classic, and get a matching pen too! Pay close attention to their heroes as well. This could give you some inspiration. There is a whole market of entrepreneurs who push for self-development. And Bill Gates mentions countless fantastic books to take inspiration from.
For the “Cool” Boss…
If you’ve got a boss that is firmly at home in the marketing team or the typing pool and they think they are the bee’s knees, fashion is undoubtedly the way to go. If you’ve got one of those bosses who are constantly checking their hair and making sure that they look 100% perfect even if you don’t think they do, it’s about gifts that massage their ego. Fashion is always a crowd-pleaser for these types of people. But if you want to make sure that they appreciate what you’ve got for them you have to go a little bit expensive. Fashion choices are never cheap for these types of people. Or what you could do instead is give them a spa gift card or anything to do with pampering. What better way to massage their ego than by getting them an actual massage?
For the Boss You’re Afraid Of…
The worst ones of all. If you have a boss that you feel intimidated by, it can be agonizing to find the right gift for them. Ultimately, you are buying these people a gift for a very specific reason, to stick in their mind. And if you have a boss that you are just intimidated by but you hate them you need to swallow your pride and make sure that you get them something that they will benefit from. Adding value to their lives is important. It’s all about those little touches that can land you in their good books. Trying to impress these people is the most difficult of all. They may have everything they need or they may very well wonder why you are getting them something in the first place. In this case, it’s best to go modest. You could get them some sort of voucher but they could throw it in the garbage when your back is turned. The hard thing about buying something of value to these types of people is that you’ve got to do your research. If they like wine you have to get something that doesn’t come across as cheap. While a good bottle of wine is usually expensive, there are some great brands out there at a decent price. The 2016 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a nice bottle of wine that should please most. Just make sure that your boss actually drinks wine first!
The Greatest Gift of All…
Buying a gift for your boss throws up so many questions. What can I get them? Am I buying them something to cover a multitude of sins? Will they even bother opening it? With a gift for anybody in a position of power, you need to make sure that it adds some sort of value to their life. But when they are in charge of you and wield the power, arguably the best gift you can give them is to do your job properly! Giving them a gift makes them aware of your presence, but in order to actually help them, you’ve got to provide something of value. Going back to Wall Street where Bud Fox, upon providing contraband Cuban cigars, had a pitch, but it didn’t deliver the goods! Give them a gift, but make sure that you give them the real gift of your abilities!
