Top Ten Gift Ideas for Difficult Coworkers

Sometimes there is someone on your gift list that just doesn't awaken the Christmas spirit in you. Like the guy who always shows up late for work or from lunch, leaving you to fill in. Or the woman who spends more time beating a path to the coffee pot or the water cooler than handling customers. Whatever the fatal flaw, this is not your favorite person. But he or she always gives everyone in the workplace a gift of homemade cookies or something, so you feel you must reciprocate.

How about a gift that, in a subtle, almost imperceptible way, sends a message? There's a good chance Miss "I Don't Know Where the Time Went" or Mr. "Bite-Me!" won't get the hidden message, after all, people like these are not known for their self-awareness. But you'll know. Of course, you could drive the point home with a note that explains why you chose the gift, but then, you're way too nice for that. Just let it be your private joke. Here are some possibilities:

1. A watch or other timepiece. Does your coworker continually show up late for work or from lunch? Are you beginning to wonder if she knows that her workday actually begins at eight a.m.? How about a gift of an inexpensive timepiece with a nicely worded card that says something like... "because I know you value punctuality as much as we do." Hopefully the hint will land, and it's a much nicer way of pointing out a flaw than to nag. After all, you still have to work together. If the gift recipient drives an older car that may not have a clock in it, consider buying a little clock designed to attach to the dashboard, so your fellow employee will be more aware of the time.

2. A book of maps of your city. These maps are a great thing to have in your car, especially if you live in a metropolitan area. You can open it to the map where your workplace is located, and mark your office in red, with a note "to help you find your way in life." Again, it's a hint in sheep's clothing. You'll keep that coworker wondering without having to nag.

3. A Stand-up, Rotating Desk Organizer from The Apprentice. If you follow the TV show of The Apprentice, you may remember that one group created a great desk organizer, which is actually called The Apprentice, and is sold by Staples. See Resources for a link to this product at Staples.com. If your pesky coworker is disorganized and messy, this could solve the problem.

4. The Purpose Drive Life. Originally written as a book for Christians, PDL has been enormously popular with people who have no religious inclinations. Starbucks has even adopted some lines from the book for a conversation-provoking campaign where they include interesting quotes on their coffee cups.

5. Large, insulated coffee cup. "To save you steps to the coffee pot." That sounds so much nicer than "What? Another trip to the break room?" If coffee breaks are a problem with this coworker and your boss permits, you might consider giving the coffee hog one of those little four-cupper pots that can easily fit on most desks, along with a bag of Starbucks special coffee.

6. Carafe for ice water Along the same line, if your coworker is always absent from her desk and hanging out at the water cooler, how about a gift of a carafe to keep on her desk?

7. Desk clock/Timer. Back on the subject of time, there's an "Executive desk set" sold in the Harriet Carter catalogs
or on the Web site (See Resources). The desk set includes a clock that sits right in front of your coworker who may chat on the phone endlessly. Or if your coworker has a special love, like cats or frogs or NASCAR, check eBay. You may find a timer, like an egg timer decorated like a cat, for timing breaks.

8. Picture Frame. I used to have a coworker who, believe it or not, had nineteen pictures of herself on her desk. It's true that all of the pictures had other people in them too, but the point remains that some people are just a bit self-involved. You can, with gentility, highlight the fact that your narcissistic coworker likes to look at him or herself with a gift of an interesting picture frame.

9. Personalized stapler, paper cup holder, etc. If your fellow employee is one who is always borrowing your stapler and returning it empty, or using all your paper clips, make that person a gift of a stapler with his or her name on it, and a big box of staples, a paper cup holder labeled with the recipient's name and full of clips, etc... you get the idea. Your office supply store can probably engrave a metal stapler, or point you to an engraver, or just do some nice labels on your computer. You might even be able to find these items in your coworker's favorite color. Chances are the recipient will appreciate the gift and never realize that the point was to protect your supplies.

10. Designer Jelly Beans in a pretty jar. For the coworker who tends to be a sour puss. Who wouldn't be sweetened up by a sweet jar of jelly beans? You may be the only one who knows the private joke behind the gift, but sometimes those are the best messages.