A manager at work greatly influences their employees’ lives – for better or worse. The relationship between these parties is usually close, and sometimes employees wish to give a gift to their boss – whether for retirement, promotion, holidays, or birthday. In this article, we’ll expand on this topic and try to provide several directions for choosing gifts for managers.
How to Choose the Perfect Gift
The ideal gift isn’t a one-size-fits-all item, but rather something that meets several criteria. The ideal gift should match the recipient’s personality and align with their style. For example, a gift for an 80-year-old woman would be different (both in design and function) from a gift for a young employee. Additionally, the gift should summarize and distill your time together, expressing all your shared memories. Furthermore, a good gift embodies the feelings you have towards the recipient – appreciation, confidence in their future success, respect, friendship, etc.
How to Choose a Farewell Gift for a Manager
As mentioned, we can’t talk about a uniform gift for every manager, but here are several guiding questions to help you choose a gift for a departing manager:
What is the nature of the departure?
The nature of the departure greatly affects the gift choice – a gift for a boss retiring is different from a gift for a manager who’s been promoted to a more senior position, or a manager choosing to take a sabbatical.
What is the manager’s workplace?
The workplace’s field and work style greatly influence the gift choice. For illustration, a gift for a departing school principal would emphasize the sense of educational mission and meaning, while for a retiring high-tech manager we’d emphasize their interpersonal management skills or our shared experiences.
How much are we investing in the gift?
The available budget may limit our gift choices. It’s important to emphasize that an expensive gift isn’t necessarily a good gift, but a larger budget allows us to choose from more diverse options and isn’t as limiting.
What is the departing manager’s personality?
We wrote above that a good gift should match the recipient’s character and style. A gift for a departing manager must consider their interests, hobbies, unique character, and special personality. Some managers will appreciate receiving a functional item, others might prefer an experience or attraction, and some will appreciate a symbolic gift emphasizing meaning and emotion.
Gift Ideas for a Boss
In the previous sections, we expanded on the questions and directions to consider before choosing a gift. Below we’ll present several options suitable for a wide range of managers and workplaces, trying to make them as universally appropriate as possible.
Letters with Photos
This type of gift combines shared photos and moments of the recipient, giving the gift a unique and personal touch. The photos are typically set against large letters, but they can also be incorporated into other shapes such as the workplace logo or different numbers. This item is perfect as a gift for a departing boss, as it serves as an aesthetic and beautiful memento that gives space for the personal dimension and preserves the beautiful moments we shared. This gift will follow them wherever they go and remind them how appreciated and loved they are every time they look at it.
Engraved Letters
Engraved letters with Perspex engraving combined with bottom lighting create a stunning look that serves as a classic and personal touching farewell gift. Personal engravings can be incorporated to commemorate phrases or symbols that personally relate to the gift recipient. This type of gift expresses the beautiful memories engraved in our hearts and the beauty contained in these experiences and memories. The gift is based on information that Yael transforms into a unique and personal design.
Letters of Life
Letters of Life are a winning combination of aesthetics and personal art, allowing many memories to be concentrated into one personal, touching, and dignified creation. This gift consists of a clear Perspex square containing a letter or shape customized for the recipient, with miniature items inside describing experiences, significant events, hobbies, and stories from that person’s life. This gift allows for summarizing significant periods and expressing a distillation of the many experiences the recipient has had. LED lighting is attached to the bottom of the Perspex creation within the stand as a concept of illuminating life, creating an item that is both stunning in its beauty and deep in its meaning.
Summary
Gift-giving is meant to express many emotions and optimally match the recipient’s character and style. I, Yael Mann, have been involved in the art field for many years and have found many ways to combine my two great loves – people, objects, and art. In my studio, you can find a very wide variety of gifts suitable for any person and any event, with emphasis on the recipient’s personal life and matching the gift in the best possible way. For inspiration and more details, you can contact us here.
