Show Your Colleagues You Appreciate Them This Holiday Season

Tis the season to give thanks so why not extend your gratitude to your professional network, as well as your friends and family? This is a wonderful time of year to nurture your professional peeps and show them how much you appreciate having them in your world-of-work.

Navigating the social norms and workplace protocol for gratitude can be difficult so consider these tips before you deck your office halls.

To Gift or Not to Gift

Instead of breaking the bank on a gift you can’t afford or struggling to find the perfect tchotchke for a colleague, consider something original and service focused.

Get creative by offering your time with a gift certificate redeemable for a night of babysitting for their kid, or watering plants and retrieving mail while they are on vacation, for example. Cover an early morning or late night shift so they have some schedule flexibility when they need it most.  Any personalized gesture that helps make their life easier is a clever way to show you care with an act of generosity that doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg.

Holiday Good News Cards

If you are job searching, chances are you have tapped the resources of your network heavily this year. Now is the time to thank your professional posse with a hand written note expressing your gratitude without asking for anything in return. Share the positive news about your job search strategy and help each person understand what an appreciated and important role they have played in your professional journey. A thoughtful and personal note can become a treasured memento by which they will regard you.

You should also consider thanking colleagues with whom you have a special connection by indicating how they have made your work life more positive or successful.  A personalized note, even from a cubicle mate is a great way to go beyond the generic email communication to show you appreciate their collegiality this season.

Thanks for Going the Extra Mile

There are always the few who go above and beyond to help you through a difficult time, a tough project, or perhaps even connect you to a new opportunity. While a bottle of wine or flowers will certainly express your gratitude, a personal gesture like a home cooked meal can also be an option. If geography or lack of culinary skills prevents this from being a good option, consider a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant so they can enjoy a night out on your dime. Be sure to include a personalized note to detail why they made a difference in your professional life.

Timing is Everything

Since the office Christmas party has morphed into the holiday gathering to be politically correct, navigating when and how to label your gesture of gratitude can be tricky. Your safest bet is to customize your gesture of thanks to the tradition that your colleague follows. If they celebrate Christmas or Hanukah, then be confident in referring to that tradition, and the respective timing when you express your gratitude.

If your colleague is agnostic, atheist, or you simply don’t know – a Happy New Year sentiment about why you are grateful for them is appropriate. A New Year’s gift or gesture can be shared anytime after Thanksgiving through early January.

Research shows that employee engagement is the number one criteria for worker satisfaction. Showing thanks to your team is especially important for supervisors and bosses. Ask your colleagues how they would like to celebrate the holiday season since buy-in is what keeps them engaged and plan your festivities accordingly. A personalized note, or public recognition of each staff member can be a great way to recognize colleagues and show thanks.

Don’t Go Overboard

The days of lavish celebrating and holiday office gifting are long gone since many organizations are trying to stay afloat financially. Even if your organization is thriving, employees should stay away from giving extravagant gifts since it creates a culture of trying to keep up with the Jones’. It’s never appropriate to over-gift your boss since this can be misconstrued as unprofessional or brown nosing. Less is truly more in this scenario. Showing your appreciation should be simple and authentic to illustrate your best professional intentions.

Pay-It-Forward

Gratitude is all about thanking others for what they have done to impact your life positively. The best gift of all can be the opportunity to give back by asking:  “What can I do for you?”  This authentic reciprocity is priceless and always appreciated. Knowing that you want to pay-it-forward can be the greatest gift of all to a colleague.

As you look towards 2013, be sure to consider whom you want to thank in your workplace. It’s great to be appreciated and letting others know that you are grateful can go a long way to promoting a positive workplace culture of engagement and satisfaction. The power of the words thank you should never be underestimated.