. . .
Most importantly, don´t say what you really think. It might sound hypocritically, you don´t need to lie, only avoid any rude commentary.
- Also avoid comments like “I hope, it would be the perfume that I have always wanted. “
- Don´t tell any of the participants about your real feelings, it is obvious that whatever you say the giver might know very fast and you don´t want to hurt him or her.
- What if you for example get a gift at work that is “so funny or so different“ that it is completely inappropriate as a gift?
- Well, I advise you to put it quickly away without any commentary and hope that the gesture will be so expressive that the giver will understand and the next year will come with something much more appropriate.
- Or say something like “Oh,” smile and indicate with a gesture to your other colleague to open his or her gift.
- Even if you decide to discuss it with the concerned one in person, because he or she is for example a newcomer in your company, then thank him or her publicly, find an appropriate moment, when you will be alone and kindly explain him or her what is and what is not appropriate to give in your working environment. Maybe be he or she is not a complete social ignoramus, maybe he or she only understood wrong something what he or she heard in your company.
We mustn´t forget the last category of so-called unwanted travelling gifts. What about them?
Each of us probably has sometimes received a gift, on which was apparent at the first sight, that it has got something over and you won´t be its first owner, or even a gift that you once gave to the person came back to you.
The best thing is simply saying thank you, use it once if you meet the person in close future again, and then give the gift to somebody for charity. It will not offend anybody, that is not the newest one and you will wittily avoid in the future receiving the gift as a boomerang.
Don´t forget that …
No matter what somebody gives us, the most important is to consider that he or she had to devote some time which he or she could have spent differently with somebody else, so he or she deserves thanks and a little of our tact and dignity. Then it is up to you, whether you will discuss it with him or her in privacy and you tactfully explain what he or she might really please you with next year.