Ten Great Boss Gifts

Gifts for bosses need not be expensive, boring, or predictable, and finding great gifts for your boss need not be like searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack. Great gifts for bosses can be as unique as your working relationship, as safe as a father's day tie, and as inexpensive as a carwash. The most common gifts for a boss are gift cards, mugs, and paperweights. Here are ten great inexpensive gifts for your boss.

ONE: Relaxation. A female boss may love a scented jar candle or diffuser set. Male bosses may find a decorative fountain to be a thoughtful gift. Just remember that relaxation is very personal. Be sure to choose gifts that are not too familiar like bath items or massage gift cards unless you and your boss are very close.

TWO: Humor. Though Dilbert items have become common as workplace gifts and most bosses have enough humorous mugs to open their own coffee shop, funny pencils and stationary, computer "panic" buttons, and novelties from sites like Office Playground and Abernook offer great gifts for bosses from the lighter side.

THREE: Music. Though musical tastes differ between bosses, a gift certificate or giftcard to a music store or itunes might be a great gift for your boss. A boss gift that can be versatile is key for bosses you aren't too familiar with. If you know the taste of your boss, gifts with their preferred music genre may be a welcome alternative to a desk toy.

FOUR: Food. Food is perhaps the safest boss gift around, but be sure you know if your boss has any allergies or medical conditions that would dictate their diet. If you find you are on the go, companies like Swiss Colony can deliver your edible boss gifts to the office, or you can pick up a nice bottle of wine if your boss enjoys that sort of a thing.

FIVE: Gifts to Warm the Heart. If your boss is a world-aware and charitable individual, consider making a donation in his or her name. Heifer International offers some of the most unique gifts that some bosses would find incredible. Animals (or shares of animals) to help individuals in third world countries become self-sufficient are offered for sale by the organization. These are more than pets; they can be rabbits to raise for food, goats to raise for milk and fiber, and even chickens or cows.

SIX: Something Personal. Boss gifts like personalized pens or pencils show your boss that you respect them as an individual. There are many places you can get personalized items like ornaments, name plates, and even crystal vases. Most malls have engraving shops, and several online boutiques offer engraving services. Be sure you know the exact spelling for names and check them upon delivery. Nothing makes a personalized boss gift more awful than a misspelled name!

SEVEN: A Better than Average Cup of Joe. Consider a coffeehouse gift card (wrapped in a mug of course) for a great boss gift to a coffee connoisseur. Gifts for your boss that involve coffee are often common, but with the price of coffee going up and many habitual drinkers still needing that commute cup in the morning, this boss gift will definitely be one that is used.

EIGHT: Try Homemade. Baking cookies, knitting a scarf, and even creating an office scrapbook are great homemade boss gifts. Be sure your boss is on a personal enough level with you to accept such a heartfelt gift idea. For smaller offices, a handmade gift for your boss could be one quite well received due to the fact that it reflects time and caring.

NINE: Organization. Gifts that keep your boss organized are often highly regarded. Calendars, scratch pads, special pen containers, and even a session with a professional organizer may all be great ideas depending on the boss. For bosses who carry electronic devices such as a PDA, consider carrying cases or accessories. If your boss is always forgetting dates, try a date planner.

TEN: Something from Home. Most bosses appreciate the gift of a picture frame because it means they can bring another photo of the family to the office. If your boss has children, consider special frames for framing kids' artwork.

Whatever you choose as a boss gift, remember that gifts for bosses can be memorable for the right reasons, memorable for the wrong reasons, or boring. Boring is safe though, so if you don't want to mess up, a boring gift for your boss is forgivable. After all, the season is more about the attention than the gift. So make sure your card reflects what you really want to say this holiday season, and let your gift be an extension of that.