If it’s the thought that counts, it looks like these folks might not think too much of their co-workers!
Earlier this month we offered you some ideas to help you show your appreciation for your finance team.
Thankfully none of the items on this list were among them.
The folks at CareerBuilder.com recently compiled a list of the 10 more “unique” holiday gifts U.S. employees have received from their co-workers.
No doubt your finance staffers will get a chuckle when you share these:
- 50 pounds of fresh Louisiana shrimp
- A toothpaste squeezer
- A hand-painted porcelain clown with silk clothes on it
- A unicorn calendar
- A painted concrete chicken
- A plaster cast of a co-worker’s hand
- Camouflage toilet paper
- Homemade laundry detergent
- Stamps
- A talking fly swatter
Can anyone on your team top these? Hopefully not.
But this admittedly silly list does raise the serious question of the best way to respond when you’re given a less-than stellar gift.
Bad gift? Your best reaction plan
That’s extra important in the workplace.
Fear not: We’ve assembled the best strategies for responding when you’re on the receiving end of an unexepected and perhaps unwanted present at the office:
Step 1: Say thank you
Forget “You shouldn’t have” or “I can’t believe you got me something.” A simple thank you is the best and most appropriate reaction when someone gives you a present.
Step 2: Don’t try and fake it
If you really don’t like that unicorn calendar, don’t say you love it. It likely won’t come off as sincere. And if the gift giver perceives that, you’ll strain the relationship.
Step 3: Focus on the intent
Unless you’re the target of a mean-spirited prank, that person gave you a present with good intentions. That’s a great place to focus when you receive a gift that may have thrown you.
Saying something about the thoughtfulness of the act of giving you a gift is a great way to react. And it will be totally sincere.
Step 4: Try to offer one good way you can use the gift
No one wants to think they’re gift will be tossed in the trash or re-gifted.
So if you’re the lucky recipient of all that shrimp, why not say something like “This gives me the perfect excuse to throw a dinner party!”
Step 5: Put it in writing
If you find yourself at a loss for words the moment you’re given the gift, say thank you and that’s it. Then after you’d had some time to give it some thought, write a short thank you note to the co-worker.
There you can express you gratitude for that person – rather than having to have it be about the gift – at a time when you’ve been able to think about it.
