The People Analytics guide to gift giving
Are you stuck for a gift idea for your team??
As we’re getting nearer to Christmas, you’re probably searching for that perfect gift, either for the “Secret Santa '' for the Christmas night out or to show appreciation to a colleague.?
But before you buy that novelty tie, latest best seller or box of chocolates, how about you use my People Analytics guide to gift giving??
I’m sure it will give your gifts a lot more meaning.?
It comes in 3 varieties:?
?? The gift of unwanting?
?? The gift of serendipity?
?? The lateral gift?
Let me explain them.?
Giving the gift of unwanting
This is giving a piece of feedback, but with a twist.?
Say you have a team member that is the definition of “a glass half empty,” they see dangers everywhere.?
If this is something that’s holding them back, you should of course tell them. But you should also suggest a way they might productively channel this trait.?
For example, by teaching them about Edward De Bono’s “six thinking hats”, and encouraging them to go all in on the “Black hat” activities.?
Or teaching them about “pre-mortems” where a team will proactively find risk to mitigate by listing challenges and potential failures before they happen.?
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Giving the gift of serendipity
This is more like your traditional gift giving but the purpose is not the gift, but what it might lead to.?
You give a gift but with a condition. The person has to trade the gift with someone else, and that interaction and something else is the real gift.?
For this one, I’d recommend giving them something related to what you know about them. If they are a keen sourdough baker, give them a jar they can use to share some of their starter with someone else.?
If you know their favourite book as a child, get them a copy of that and encourage them to share it with someone else or if they work on their own a lot, give them a voucher for lunch for two people on the condition they invite someone they wouldn’t normally.
Which brings us to our last gift.
Giving a lateral gift
A lateral gift focuses on an area that you think will complement what someone already does or be completely unexpected. Both are designed to widen their specialist's blinkers.?
For example, if you know your team member is a keen runner, get them some sessions on a climbing wall.
?If you have a team member that works in programming and doesn’t read or listen to anything other than programming blogs or podcasts, get them a book on poetry or an Ikebana class.?
Who knows how some Emily Dickinson or Japanese flower arrangement might broaden their world??
So, there you have it.?
Three ideas on how to leverage people analytics in your gift giving.?
Ready to give it a go? Let me know how you get on.?
And if you have other amazing ideas on how we can spread knowledge, smiles and connections this Christmas, share them below.
Ooh, I like these! Lots of thoughtful ideas there. Pre-mortems remind me of Randall and Beth in the series “This is Us”, who often play a “worst case scenario” game to relieve anxiety in the face of worrying situations or upcoming events. It always seems like a good thing to address the worries head-on and give them a name.
The Communication Skills Wizard??getting you seen, heard and valued at work. ICF Coach, Licensed Career Coach, Systemic Team Coach, 1-1 and Group Programmes, Chief Colourer Inner and Honorary Viking ?
11 个月I really like the gift of serendipity. A voucher for 2 people for an experience shared with a friend is a kind of double gift. I've used that before and it's been well received.