Recipients notice and appreciate gifts and recognition that are personalized

The quest to find the one perfect gift for everyone at Christmas or to find the one-size-fits-all way to recognize all staff is doomed to fail.

Gift cards don’t do it. Nor do logo-emblazoned coffee mugs or golf balls. Plaques, trophies and certificates work for some, but will not work for all staff.

Add gift baskets, often used by professional firms (accountants, lawyers, architects and such) at year-end to thank their clients for their business, to the list of techniques that work for some, but not all.

Nothing screams, “I don’t know you and don’t care enough to learn more about you as an individual,” as when everyone receives the same year-end gift or token of appreciation as everyone else does.

Treating everyone the same ignores an important truth. Everyone is different. They have different interests and preferences.

With this in mind, it was refreshing to learn of one company that sees things differently. While still carrying on the tradition of year-end gift baskets, it chose to personalize them.

Rather than purchasing a number of identical gift baskets from a big-box store, the company engaged someone (we’ll call her Sandra), who worked with managers to create gift baskets with the recipients in mind.

She asked them to tell her what they knew about their clients, in much the same way leaders can ask questions to learn how to recognize staff in Appropriate ways.

What sports teams do they support? Do they have pets? What kind? What’s their favourite drink? Beer? White wine or red? Tea or coffee? What treats do they enjoy the most?

Armed with this information, Sandra went shopping: a collection from Lindor for a chocolate lover. Special cat or dog treats. Craft beer for one client, red wine for another.

Each basket was unlike any other. Recipients noticed (responses have been edited to protect the privacy of individuals):

“It was wonderful to find a calendar with pictures of horses in my basket. My staff really enjoyed it. They all know how much I love horses.”

“Here’s a picture of my dog wearing the bandana with the logo of my favourite hockey team. What a great gift!”

“Loved my ‘green’ gift basket. It’s my favourite colour. Where did you find so many items that were green?”

Suggested Action: List your staff members’ names. Next to each, write what you know about them as individuals (Use the 7 questions to ask to recognize staff Appropriately as a guide, if necessary). How can you use this information when you recognize these unique individuals for their unique contributions?

==

Finding Appropriate ways to recognize staff is one topic you will discuss during my Staff Recognition: One Piece at a Time program. Email nmscott@telus.net or call (780) 232-3828 to learn more and schedule your One Piece at a Time workshop.

 

Why I took the easy route and gave gift cards at Christmas

I’m going to come clean with you. This holiday season, I gave gift cards—the same gift cards that I have described as a “cop-out” in the past. I still feel that way, but under the circumstances, it seemed the best way to go.

When you give someone a gift card, especially a generic type such as a prepaid VISA, a grocery store card or a card for a coffee shop, you send messages that are likely unintended:

“I don’t know you well enough to be able to choose a gift that would be appropriate for you.”

“It’s important to treat everyone the same, whether they contribute equally (which is unlikely) or not.”

“I haven’t the time to find the right gift for you.”

At least two of these statements apply to my decision to give gift cards.

With 2016 coming an end, I wanted to express my appreciation in some way to four people I don’t know, but on whose services I rely: the person who delivers my newspapers at 3 a.m. six mornings a week, the post office employee who delivers mail daily, and the people who pick up the garbage and recycling every Thursday.

My solution was Tim Hortons cards for all of them. I’m sure they will be able to use them to purchase a drink or sandwich.

If I knew them in a way we know the people with whom we work each day, I might have found more appropriate ways to express my appreciation.

With staff members, we can discover ways to recognize them appropriately. In some cases, it might be a gift card, but one selected with the intended recipient’s interests and preferences in mind. It could be a gift card for a retailer in whose store they like to shop, a gift card for their favourite restaurant or even to their favourite coffee shop (this article was written while sitting in a coffee shop, but it wasn’t Tim Hortons).

Another option when using gift cards, is to personalize them. At http://www.timhortons.com/ca/en/timcard/personalized-tim-card.php, for example, you can upload a photo which holds special meaning for the recipient, such as a picture of the family or of a place where the staff member dreams of vacationing. Starbucks offers the option of a blank card, which comes with a pen that can be used to decorate the card before presenting it to the person who you wish to recognize.

Why money makes a poor Christmas gift or recognition tool

In a reporter’s mind, there is hard news and soft news.  Hard news refers to those stories that lead the six o’clock news or compete to appear on Page One: murders, natural disasters, wars.  Everyone knows they are going to happen, but no one can predict when or where.

On the other hand, soft news stories are easier to predict:  The first robin that heralds the arrival of spring; celebrations for Canada Day or Independence Day; back-to-school preparation; or Farmer Brown’s giant pumpkin.

And of course, there are the annual Christmas-shopping stories.  When to start. Where to shop. What to buy that the recipients will appreciate and use, and not return on Boxing Day.

I recall watching one such report last year . . . or maybe the year before . . . or maybe I just anticipated seeing it this December.  It doesn’t really matter.  Such stories are as much part of our Christmas traditions as Santa Claus or turkey or greeting cards.

After describing a few gift suggestions—frequently unusual, wacky or new-to-the-market—and interviewing a few frustrated shoppers (“I just don’t know what to buy for Aunt Ethel. She is so hard to shop for. She seems to have everything.”), the reporter invariably concludes:

“You can always give them money. That is something everyone will keep.”

Wrong! No one keeps money that is received as a gift. You’ll never visit a friend who will point to a $20-bill framed on the wall, and explain that, “Uncle Eric gave me that money. He is so thoughtful. I will treasure this gift forever.”

Nope, that doesn’t happen. No one holds on to a gift of cash for very long. They receive it, fritter it away on nothing special, and forget ever receiving the money.

Money doesn’t work as a tool with which to recognize staff, either. Relying on money—or ubiquitous gift cards—is a cop-out. Their use shows we don’t know Aunt Ethel, Uncle Eric or the people we work with everyday well enough to find an appropriate way to say Merry Christmas or thanks for how they contribute. Or that we don’t care enough to seek out a gift that they will value because it reflects who they are—their interests and hobbies, the type of food they enjoy, or anything else that makes them unique individuals.

Want to recognize staff in Appropriate ways? The first step is to know staff members as individuals. In my book—Thanks! GREAT Job!—I suggest at least 53 questions, the answers to which will help you know the people with whom you work as individuals—information that will allow you to personalize the recognition you provide.