Cheer, Camaraderie, and Comms: How Elements of Gift Exchanges Mirror Great Workplace Communication

Cheer, Camaraderie, and Comms: How Elements of Gift Exchanges Mirror Great Workplace Communication

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.  

Rosy red noses. Festive (and far-too-overdue) reunions. The softness of snow.

But the highlight of the season, for me at least, is the abundant cheer all around… and I felt inspired to write a blog post about one of the merriest events of my year – the Local Wisdom holiday gift exchange!  

The gift exchange is a few years old at this point – a growing tradition, if you will – and it is widely regarded as one of our organization’s fondest days.

How does it work?  

Each employee who wishes to participate (spoiler alert, nearly everyone signs up!) fills out a survey with questions about hobbies and gift preferences and is then entered into a randomized Elfster drawing. 

Local Wisdom provides us with a budget to spend on another colleague who has been secretly revealed to us (and only us, so it keeps the element of surprise for the whole team). Then, we each buy a gift that we think would be nice for our selected coworker, and since we are a fully remote company, we mail a package to their house with a note of a “Local Wisdom Gift Exchange – do not open!” type of warning on the package so it doesn’t get opened until the official exchange. 

My guess is that this event is so popular for a few reasons – the camaraderie, fun gifties, and ongoing guessing game, to name a few.  

Which brings me to the point of this blog post! While contemplating why this exchange is highly regarded at Local Wisdom, I realized the parallels to… good comms!

So, let’s unwrap this together.

Creating Outstanding Comms Through the Lens of the Local Wisdom Gift Exchange 

1. Presentation is key

In fact, let’s start with the wrapping!  My first year in the Local Wisdom gift exchange set the bar HIGH. A colleague, Bill Kuehler, from our sister company (shout out to Resource Hero!), was my gifter, and he delivered the gift in the best possible way. Bill sent a large item that was a series of packages and envelopes, each sizing down to other smaller envelopes enclosed with notes with each package that I opened up. Think nesting dolls, but for gifts.  It took me forever to open the gift, my face getting redder and my laugh getting louder each time there was another package that led to a package. Eventually, it boiled down to a gift card to a restaurant that I was itching to try, and then there were even more packages with bonus gift cards that were part of a holiday promo (spend a certain amount, get a bonus with it) and a donation receipt to a charity that is near and dear to my heart, The Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation.  By the end of the gift opening, I looked at the group chat that was filled with several messages from my teammates in the comments saying, “BEST GIFT EVER!” It was the best gift ever – with many thanks to his creative delivery.

So, what does presentation and delivery have to do with comms?  

The ways employees engage with internal messages can be compared to the eagerness to unwrap a gift. A catchy headline can go a long way toward building anticipation and kicking off the reveal of valuable, well-crafted messaging aimed at informing employees.  Just as a beautifully or interestingly wrapped gift enhances the overall experience, well-designed and thoughtfully presented communications – whether an email, video, or intranet post – leave a positive, lasting impression.

2. Surprise adds a fun element

Last year, I drew a wonderful colleague named Michael Simmons to gift to. Michael and I have something in common – our love for the Philadelphia Eagles. (Go Birds!) I thought I would get him a gift card for some new Eagles gear, but giving him a gift card felt so bland. I needed to jazz it up a little bit. What better way than to get a (former) player involved? Certainly, Michael wouldn’t be expecting THAT, right?

I went to Cameo and found a beloved former Eagles quarterback to deliver the gift. I asked Randall Cunningham to record a personalized video for Michael saying hi and wishing him happy holidays. When I revealed the gift, I shared my screen as a surprise for Michael and played the video for all to see, upping the excitement level of otherwise just an emailed gift card in his inbox.

Now, let’s look at this through our comms lens.

When communications are rote, expected, and routine, they can easily be overlooked. An employee might assume they know what the message will say. However, just as my video caught Michael off guard and left him with a memorable surprise, comms with some unexpected element can have the same effect. This is a wonderful way to introduce new ideas and an unexpected way of engaging employees, creating a sense of enjoyment and astonishment within communications. The gifts with an unexpected element felt a bit more “fun,” so perhaps try throwing a creative hook or a curveball in your communications for the same effect.

3. Personalization leaves an impact

Moreover, last year, I was presented with a very thoughtful gift from my amazing colleague, Shomit Naik. Shomit is one of the Local Wisdom-ers I feel most connected to, so this felt extra special!

Shomit gave me a gift card to a Philadelphia restaurant that I was looking forward to trying (if you can’t tell by now, I’m a foodie who cherishes restaurant gift cards). Still, he went above and beyond to also donate to the charity that I love (mentioned above).

As if that was not enough (Shomit, you’re the best!) – there was an extra added element of personalization. A bonus surprise gift showed up at my house the morning of the exchange! It was a small jar of edible glitter for at-home cocktails so that I could recreate a glitter drink from a mutual cocktail bar that he and I share a deep admiration for. How personal (and bonus points for nailing the element of surprise we mentioned above) and special.

Now, let’s view this through the IC lens.

In a gift exchange, the best gifts are personalized to the receiver’s tastes or needs. Similarly, in internal communications, the message should be crafted to fit the audience’s preferences and interests. In many cases, a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t lead to great engagement. The more personalized the gift, the more impactful it is. The same can be said about your communications. Customized, carefully crafted, targeted communications will stand out among the rest.

4. Inclusion is essential

There is one key aspect that is crucial to the gift exchange: Everyone can (and is encouraged to) participate and exchange gifts. We genuinely feel like we are all in it together – setting aside time away from other projects or meetings to get together as an entire group – and everyone can partake. In fact, one of my favorite parts about the gift exchange is that it brings together some faces that I don’t get to see every day. We have full representation of our Local Wisdom HQ team, our Studio team, and our Resource Hero colleagues – and it is so lovely as everyone pops on camera to open their gifts.

Your comms should always be inclusive so everyone feels like they belong.

Inclusion ensures that all voices are heard and everyone has access to the same information, creating a sense of belonging. Also, while we are on the topic of inclusion, let’s all agree to make an effort to avoid confusing jargon in your comms. (For more on that, listen in here!)

 

Putting a Bow on Our Blog Post 

One final important caveat to this blog post is that it all follows the same ground rules. 

• Alignment: In our gift exchange, agreeing on a budget, filling out a survey, and setting deadlines ensure everyone is aligned on what’s expected. In internal communications, the same applies — clear guidelines, expectations, and consistent messaging ensure that everyone is on the same page and knows what is required of them. 
• Timeliness: Timing is everything in gift-giving; a late gift can feel off or come across as rude, just like comms — whether it’s delivering critical updates promptly or responding to feedback when it matters. 
• Authenticity: Gift exchanges often deepen connections among colleagues. Similarly, good internal communications strengthen relationships by fostering trust, transparency, and a sense of community across the organization. The key to this is that it must be authentic in nature. Authentic communications that resonate emotionally tend to be remembered and appreciated. 
• Empathy: The best gifts carry meaning and evoke acceptance on a deeper level. Likewise, thoughtfully crafted, empathetic communications that resonate emotionally tend to be remembered and appreciated. Both should reflect effort, care, and alignment with values.

In conclusion, through these holiday exchanges, we’re reminded of what truly makes a message resonate. Each one of these qualities is a gift in itself, whether it’s wrapped in a package or conveyed in a comms message. By approaching our communications with the same spirit of the gift exchange, we can make each interaction feel meaningful and memorable. After all, creating a sense of togetherness in our communications is, perhaps, the best “gift” we can share all year long. 

It’s all about cheer, camaraderie, and comms.