If there’s one thing (of many) being in the trading game has taught me, it’s that the right information you need often comes from the unlikeliest sources. It comes from places you least expect to make for a wealth of information you can actually use, which is why some of the best traders in the game have what otherwise appear to be very strange stock-picking rituals. It’s all about pattern recognition.

So, this time around however we’re moving quite a bit away from the topic of trading itself, focusing on a different aspect of the workplace environment. We’re zoning in on the maintenance of good working relationships as practised through the gift-giving ritual. This presents so many dilemmas in industries that go beyond the world of finance, I would imagine, but in the specific case of those of us who work in the trading arena of the finances we simply cannot afford to waste mental resources on tasks like trying to make everybody happy with the gifts we select for them. We seldom have the time to invest mental resources in merely remembering important dates and special occasions such as birthdays, let alone having to make sure to produce the goods by way of presenting the celebrated parties with a gift that will make them truly happy with the effort made.

Nevertheless, it’s kind of a binary situation – if you’re going to make an effort at all, then you have to make it count, or don’t bother at all. After all, your colleague might also be a supportive friend whom you want to surprise. So if friendship bracelets (like what Rastaclat offers) aren’t enough to cheer them up, read ahead for more ideas!

Customizable gifts

A secretive or busy colleague can be hard to find a good gift for. So the key to dealing with such developments is to invest in customizable gifts like a Personalized Picture Puzzle or name necklace. Obviously, you’d want a rough idea of what they would like, just to avoid the disappointment of them perhaps not liking the final outcome.

Personal gifts

The problem with customizable gifts is that they can sometimes be quite generic. Gifts of named mugs and pens stack up very quickly, and also quickly become unwanted. If a customized gift is not for them then its you could also get involved as more of a friend. Something like a wedding photo card collection created using an online save the date template, for instance. This idea could be great for a colleague about to get married. Or if your colleague’s child is on the cusp of graduating, then why not have a peek at this website and offer to get them a commemorative frame or gift. These kinds of gifts show you pay attention to them and can work wonders for establishing life-lasting bonds.

Planning in advance

Unless you hit it off with a new colleague who joins your ranks in the workplace, information such as when everybody’s birthday is can be obtained very easily these days. If you don’t want to ask everybody to write down their birthdays for you, you can go to HR and get that information, otherwise you can get it off their social networking profiles. This info allows you to plan in advance, so no nasty surprises waiting to spark you into last-minute frenzies trying to sort out a great birthday gift or something like that.

The gift of an experience

Gifts that take the form of an experience are much more cherished than those which entail the passing over of a physical item, no matter how expensive that item might clearly be, so focus on creating a memorable experience and giving that as your unique gift.