Leaders who pride themselves in making others feel special think differently when they consider showing their appreciation with gifts, mementos, and thank-yous. They know that any expression of gratitude is best when it serves as a special reminder for weeks, months, and years — rather than for hours and days. Any gift that is fleeting in memory doesn’t make the cut.
Gifts like spa services, flowers, restaurant gift certificates, game tickets, food baskets, or a weekend getaway certainly make people feel acknowledged and valued, but their impact decays rather quickly. A few weeks later, the thank-you and the feeling of specialness those gifts created don’t come right to mind. Not long after, they disappear from memory altogether.
When leaders give someone something they will use every day, the recipient is reminded of the celebration every day, as well. Backpacks, tablets, pens, travel cups, earbuds, photos and frames, portfolios, and subscriptions are examples of gifts that keep the feeling of specialness alive each time the recipient puts it to use.
Any gift that others use or look at every day compounds the expression of gratitude leaders desire to convey. Think keepsake. No wonder the traditional “gold watch” was the corporate standard to acknowledge significant milestones or retirement for nearly a century.
So, the next time you consider showing your gratitude with a gift or memento, think like the best leaders do. Give a gift that keeps reminding people of how special they are every day. Those are the gifts worth giving.
