Things You'll Need:
- Stealth
- Tact
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Step 1
Make a list and check it twice. Create a "gift hierarchy" of names of people your coworkers. Who are the people that are your friends as well as your coworkers? Create a list of them at the top of your page. Which of your coworkers do you work closely with? For example, as a classroom teacher, there is a reading specialist and special education teacher who work with me on a weekly basis (meeting in a small group with me as well as coming into my classroom. This is your second priority. Finally, who are your remaining coworkers you see pretty much daily? This will be the bottom of the priorities. Now, some people maybe find it cold to categorize people in this way when it comes to gift giving, and that is your choice. I feel it is okay to do, because I believe the holidays are for doing something special and giving gifts to people you care about. And for coworkers who don't even know my name that work in the building, I feel they don't really count as "loved ones." So I wouldn't want to get these coworkers the same gift as a coworker who is an actual friend to me.
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Step 2
For your friends who are coworkers, you want to get them personal gifts. Do they like chocolate, fruit, or coffee? Do they love cats, or flowers? Buy them a gift you know they'll like, just as you would for a friend who is not a coworker.
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Step 3
Buy generic gifts for coworkers who work closely with you. This can be the same gift for "fairness." For example, you could get everyone box of chocolates or a candle. This gift is a token of appreciation that you are guessing all your coworkers would all like, but it is not necessary for you to tailor these gifts precisely to their tastes if you are unsure.
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Step 4
Leave cards in everyone the rest of your coworker's mailboxes, or on their desks. If there are coworkers who you see on a daily basis, it would be very thoughtful to give them a card. It is very affordable, but it shows them that you were thinking of them. The holiday season is about spreading joy, and writing "Dear, ___" and "Sincerely, ___" is a relatively simple way to do it.
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Step 5
Try organizing a Secret Santa. If you have a close-knit group of coworkers who enjoy the holiday festivities, and you wish you could afford to get them ALL a gift, you might want to try a "Secret Santa," so that everyone who wishes to participate gets a small gift from a coworker. For more tips on how to do this, see the resources section at the bottom of the page.
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Step 6
Try organizing a "Yankee Swap" for the staff Christmas party. For reasons that are similar to the Secret Santa, this is a fun way to exchange a gift with coworkers(at random) if you are having a holiday party. For more tips on how to do this, see the resources section at the bottom of the page.
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Step 7
Organize a Cookie Swap. This is another fairly inexpensive way to give something thoughtful to all your coworkers something who wish to participate. For more tips on how to do this, see the resources section at the bottom of the page.
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Step 8
Wish everyone you work with a Happy Holidays. Happy Holidays!
