As the Holiday season approaches, we start our list of who we will give to and what we will give. It’s an opportunity to express care and gratitude to our loved ones, family, friends and colleagues. We all want to master the art of elegant gift giving so that these celebratory moments are memorable. As our gift to you, here are some of our do’s and don’ts for gift giving.
6 Do’s
- Express joy in your gift and always give with kindness.
- Select a gift with imagination and generosity.
- A successful gift speaks to the interests and hobbies of the recipient.
- When in doubt, seek advice from a relative, a friend or a colleague to help you.
- Wrap the gift with care, make it fun, exciting and appropriate.
- A gift is just that… a gift! The joy of giving is greater when no gift is expected in return.
6 Don’ts
- Praising the gift too much or discussing its price is a highly inappropriate gesture.
- Giving an ambiguous gift may lead to misinterpretation.
- Giving an awkwardly inappropriate gift may be hurtful: a bottle of wine to a recipient who does not drink is ill-advised for example.
- Offering a lavish gift unexpectedly may make someone feel uncomfortable or oblige them to feel they need to reciprocate.
- Arriving empty handed at a holiday event may offend your host – the gift doesn’t need to be extravagant, just thoughtful.
- Giving without care or consideration – believe it or not, people will know – take the time and effort to find a gift that has meaning for the recipient.
