To gift or not to gift?-An end of year celebration dilemma

By Lambert Rusoke

It’s that time of the year that many are turning to parties as a way of washing down the year. Company budgets have been set aside, and end of year party proggrammes well aligned to suit the objective of a company-that of developing teamwork.

In here comes with a sense of reward, for efforts all year through.Wheras some rewards shall come from the organization, acknowledging top performers or as a token of appreciation for loyal service, one animal in the form of ‘gift exchange’ shall take centre stage too. It’s a process that is rather challenging, rigorous, fun, meant to be of surprise and yet can make or break faces of the recipients, once delivered.

Nomatter the  reaction,he in is a six must have checklist that I think should make the end of year gift exchange achieve the objective  set out ;

1.Make it Personal

Have a particular person or individual that you are directing the gift too. In here, we have to relate to someone, must have studied someone, known his/her character traits, studied his/her likes and dislikes, have a bit of his/her organizational behavior, and any other human trait deemed fitting for the gifting exercise.

Remember the gift is intended for a particular person, and should therefore fit the billing. The question of ,”who is the recipient?’ should go a long way in answering whether it’s a he ,her,kid,or grandma.

Therefore,a need for a little research about the person, is a must check.

2.Do be creative

You know how it is—every year is the same old, same old when it comes to giving gifts—you do it with close friends, family members, and even your co-workers. Other than simply wrapping up something special and handing it over, there are many creative gift exchange ideas that add cheer to any  get-together.

There is need to inject some fun into gift-giving and receiving like when you were a kid and anxiously awaited your turn at grab bag.The notion of the reading out names and people coming to the front to handover,may seem too monotonous and boring.However,the match up to the podium could be what sets the difference. May be a little words to accompany the gift, narrating a few reasons why you specifically chose the gift at hand.Or even,it may be a case of unwrapping the gift received in front of the whole house ,such that all and sundry get to know what someone has gotten.

Or we could have a themed upgift exchange, say “Ugandan Taste” whereby all gifts presented that day,should bear something synonymous with the country Uganda.Gifting isn’t static. 

3. Do not be cheap

If you describe someone's remarks or actions as cheap, you mean that they are unkindly or insincerely using a situation to benefit themselves or to harm someone else. In general,a Cheap person is someone who doesn't like to spend money. Not that he /she cannot afford,but just showing  a lack of honesty and moral principles,especially,if there is a general consensus from the team to exchange gifts at a year end party.If your giftmate has turned upwith a gift,there’s no excuse for walking to the podium empty handed, giving all sorts of reasons for not being able to carry a gift like the rest.

Gifting is an process and therefore we need to  spend more money/time on something for someone. Its not fancy at all to  tease a friend with a gift not worthy to mention way after the party curtains have fallen.

4.Show appreciation year round.

Appreciation and celebration shouldn’t stop once the end of year party ends; it should be continued every day throughout the entire year.

Bringing positivity and highlighting the team is an easy way to build a culture where each individual feels appreciated and respected. No matter the industry or how big the team, every member can create a people-first culture by recognizing the team members he /she is working with , improving communication, and treating everyone with respect on a daily basis. The gift received ,may even be a catalyst for better bonding as a team member.

5.Dont use gifts as bribes

A gift is something of value given without the expectation of return; a bribe is the same thing given in the hope of influence or benefit.

Giving a gift to one’s boss for example  is always fraught with peril and should be undertaken with full information and forethought. Employees who bestow a gift on their boss could be perceived as brown nosers, or they might feel pressured to spend more than they want. There’s also a risk of buying a totally inappropriate gift, which could create an uncomfortable atmosphere at the office. And many managers say lavish gifts from workers put them in a bad position because they feel pressured to reciprocate but don’t want to be perceived as showing favoritism.

Whatever the intentions, its advisable we keep our gifting at the year’s theme,and nothing else.That way,we can easily curtail the vice.

6.Do have Fun

It’s time  to wish somebody a good and enjoyable time during these festive days.Let the process of selecting the person to gift,the shopping, the consultation of what to buy, the giving itself be filled with fun and nothing but fun. Its time to make merry.

Remember ,A gift, in the law of property, is the voluntary transfer of property from one person (the donor or grantor) to another (the donee or grantee) without full valuable consideration

In order for a gift to be legally effective, three requirements must be met:

1. Intention of donor to give the gift to the donee (donative intent)
2. Delivery of gift to donee.
3. Acceptance of gift by donee.