Practical Tips for Leaders Who Want to Give Meaningful Gifts—Without the Stress

One of the things that I always used to struggle with during the holidays was employee gifts. I have given some cool gifts in the past, especially when my operations were small. One year, my mom, who is very crafty, offered to make personalized holiday stockings for my team and colleagues. This gift was awesome. I filled them with cute items, like the ones listed below, and put them on their desks on the day of our holiday party.  I had a team of 15 people at the time. This was doable and fun.

The pinch came when we grew:

As we grew, this level of personalization was not affordable or feasible. I had to look for other ways to make the holiday special without breaking the money and time bank.

I’m here to save you some time:

I started looking for alternative ideas. In the end, I found that small gift bags work the best.

There are so many cute and practical gifts out there, but let’s be real, time is hard to come by, and sometimes it is hard to find the gifts that resonate with employees.   

That is why I have created this list with links so you can quickly and easily put together gift ideas for your teams. The great thing about these holiday bags is that you can use them for work teams, children’s teachers, your neighbors, and many other groups you need to buy for.

Neuroscience tip:

Giving gifts—even a sincere handwritten card—will boost the receiver's feel-good hormones and, in turn, their feelings toward you and the organization.  Last year, I gave one of my teams handwritten cards unique to each of them, and they were more impactful than any gift I could have given. They were sincere and from my heart.  If you have a bigger budget than holiday cards, you can always put a heartfelt card in a carefully curated gift bag.

A few of my favorite things:

Here are a few of my favorite items below. I think you will appreciate having all these items in one location. 

Spiral-bound notebooks.  I have used these notebooks for swag bags for my teams in the past. They are great because the colors are calming, they are compact and can fit into a handbag or computer bag, and it’s easy to use both sides of the paper. I always have notebooks on my desk for jotting down or remembering things.  https://amzn.to/4ni618W

I am a big fan of nice pens. I prefer gel pens, and I have purchased this item several times for holidays and other types of swag bags. They pair nicely with the notebooks above. People love these pens.  https://amzn.to/4hqk0Is

Depending on your budget and how many folks are on your team, these coffee mugs are always a hit! When we see visual reminders of positive thoughts, we release those feel-good hormones, which then lead to good moods. Plus, they say good moods can be brought to you by coffee or tea. https://amzn.to/4o3EzNu

Positive Potatoes. These have to be my all-time favorites to put into a gift bag for work. They make me smile, and everyone loves them. 

 https://amzn.to/42Soamx

Playing cards are another nice item to put in the holiday bag. Cards encourage people to interact with each other. We have social brains and need connection. I love it when I get some.  https://amzn.to/4hl6sy1

I often buy these types of bags to keep on hand for swag or thank-yous. They are versatile, and I can decorate them however I like. They are simple and can be so inviting depending on what you want them to look like. https://amzn.to/47kIePA

 High-quality Candy Bars that have a unique flair, like Hammonds' uniquely flavored chocolate bars. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids, which can improve cognitive function! https://amzn.to/4hnoMpZ

Of course, since my passion is leadership, I find joy in helping people grow and develop.   I will find an easy-to-read leadership book and toss it in a gift bag!  https://amzn.to/3WRm6aI 

I hope that you find this resource helpful. I would love to hear your ideas for fun and meaningful gifts!