Workplace Challenges
Corporate SantaWhen it comes to holiday shopping for corporate vendors and clients, it may be tempting to buy a pair of tickets to a sporting event and call it a day. ASSOCIATED PRESS |
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 [ 2007-11-28 ] |
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But expensive, corporate-paid gifts are often impersonal, according to Dov Seidman, author of HOW: Why HOW We Do Anything Means Everything in Business (and in Life) and chief executive officer of business ethics company LRN.
"You want to give something that is meaningful in the context of your relationship, and not something just of monetary value that might have very little authentic connection to your experiences with them," Seidman says. "You also don't want to make them feel indebted to you."
Extravagant gifts, like gluttonous dinners or a new set of golf clubs, could be perceived as inappropriate and may even alter the business relationship for the worse. Instead, Seidman suggests buying gifts that will spark conversation and that are not as costly, like books. If you do want to purchase front-row seats to a game or concert, attend it with the client.
The same caution should be applied to accepting gifts. There is often a fine line between what a company's policy will allow and what is appropriate, Seidman says. If a gift is too lavish, motives should be evaluated.
"Gifts are vague and often can be deceptive in terms of what they are intended to do and whether they will result in a conflict of interest, a bribe, or appearance of impropriety," Seidman says.
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