The holiday season is a time of giving, but if you’re an upper-level manager, you may be panicking because your board of trustees can be a thorn in your side when it comes to our Christmas shopping list. Typically, board members are upper-middle class or upper-class people who are well established in the community and know everyone. In other words, they already have everything they need. There are plenty of executive business gifts on the market, but which ones will suit your board members?

First, consider the role of the board of trustees within your business or organization. Do these community members meet a few times every year to discuss the budget? Are they involved with every aspect of the business? Are they paid? Are they shareholders in the company? In general, the more work the trustees put into the company, the more money you should spend on their executive business gifts. Remember, there are plenty of gifts at YesGifts.co.uk that look expensive but are surprisingly affordable. However, some promotional T-shirts are probably not appropriate!

Unless, of course, you run a clothing business that specialized in promotional T-shirts! Take into account the very nature of your business. The executive business gifts you choose for board members of a construction company will be different than the executive business gifts you choose for board members of a stock broking company, and both will be different than those executive business gifts you choose for the board members of a hospital. You don’t have to have a theme to your gift (ie, hammers for the construction company board or stethoscopes for the hospital board), but you should take into account that different businesses dictate the need for different gifts.

Also consider the lives of the board members. When someone is one a board of trustees, they often also have a different full-time job. In many cases, you’ll find similarities. For example, a non-profit organization focusing on education might have a board of trustees made up of many stay-at-home mothers. For them, a corporate carrying case doesn’t make sense. At the same time, a board of trustees for a restaurant chain may all be involved in the business world. For them, corporate carrying cases make a lot of sense.

Of course, always purchase the same thing for all members of the board. Playing favorite could put your relationship with the board in jeopardy and, if nothing else, will make some board members feel unappreciated. Set a budget for gifts and divide that total budget by the number of member on the board. This will dictate how much you can spend on each person. Luckily, executive business gifts like desk clocks, polo shirts, and conference folders don’t have to be expensive.

The weight of purchasing executive business gifts for board members should fall on an upper-level manger who is not a member of the board. Someone who works in the budget department is a good choice for this task, or it can fall on the head of the vice-president of the company. When in doubt, suggest the idea to the highest authority who is not on the board of trustees. Together, you can work to choose the perfect holiday gift to show your board members that you appreciate the work they do for the company.