Why Your Christmas Gift of Recognition May Get Tossed into the Corner.

I think as we grow older our Christmas list gets shorter, because the things we want can't be bought.

~Unknown

December 1st and decorations are being carefully placed all over workplaces around the world.

Doors are being wrapped as if the manager is a gift to the corporation.

Trees are being decorated by the leaders on the work floor.

There are heads of reindeer antlers placed on the grills of vehicles.

Santa hats, elf hats, Christmas ball earrings and even ugly sweaters are being warn all around us.

Christmas lights brighten up that space where the over head light has been out for 6 months.

You have that warm and fuzzy feeling, and every time someone passes an elf hat or an ugly sweater, they are smiling!

Hell, even Betty and Marnie are getting along.

It's like the work space is under a spell!

There is a worker who announces there will be a collection of non perishable food for a hamper to give to the women's shelter.

Another colleague announces there will be a Christmas Dinner Gathering sign-up sheet for anyone who can make it.

Plus a sign-up sheet for a secret Santa gift exchange throughout the workplace.

Everything has been tinsel tickled.

This feeling has been going on for weeks!

It seems like the perfect time for the corporation to swoop in and present their employee recognition gifts to all through out the company.

Pretty packages wrapped in gold and red ribbons are handed to everyone.

The smiles fill the room.

The first employee opens the gift.... a mug with a company logo.

She smiles, and places it on the desk and continues on working.

A couple other employees are opening their gifts together, both get mugs with the company logo.

One says, " I will have a full set if I stay 2 more years."

They walk together to the lunch room and place their mugs in the cupboard along side last years donation.

They go about their day.

It's has to be MORE than a mug.

I am not saying more money, more items, more of anything other that this...

Failing to understand that it is not solely receiving a gift that matters, rather showing appreciation through tangible gifts is effective when the gift shows that the giver has spent time and energy about the gift.

I teach this concept in the 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace and how to understand what "hits the mark" for each and every person.

Gifts are only one of the languages you can offer at Christmas Time.

There is also the gift of your time or their time, the gift of acts of service, or even the gift of affirmation.

A team gathering with everyone bringing a dish.

Leaving an hour or two early is gift.

Pitching in to help at the women shelter is a gift.

Lending corporate vehicles to collect non perishable foods is a gift.

Personal letters are gifts. (If Canada Post can answer all the kids Santa letters around the country... this is possible).

There are so many more examples you can come up with.

You can see the money is not always the factor of gifts.

As a corporation, it is hard, yes, to understand each and every colleague who may be just a number in a system,

but there are leaders within who know the teams well, and there is an efficient way to let things trickle down the pipe line.

Gift of a mug may be amazing for a small percentage of your team who love mugs but "missing the mark" on the rest.

You may be saying, Kryssie, the employees should be grateful for anything at all.

And I would say yes, I agree that they should have loads of gratitude towards the job and receiving a paycheck every 2 weeks without fail.

At the same time, each and every company offers incentive packages to make their workplace more desirable than the next.

As too, a corporation has employees who show up and help the organization flow.

Gratitude is a wonderful thing both ways.

Treat your employees better than your customers and your employees will share your gratitude to your customers.

So I am offering "a dare to be different" tactic.

Step out of the ordinary.

Increase the value of your team, your co-worker and yourself.

Remember, just like you, not everyone feels appreciated in the same way.

The more often we communicate appreciation in the 'language' and specific actions preferred by our colleagues the more likely we are to 'hit the mark' in truly encouraging them and helping them feel valued.

That is the true gift.

Do you want to learn your teams Languages of Appreciation? Click Here to have a discovery call.