圣诞节送什么礼物给老板?

The holidays aren't just a time for giving presents to family members and loved ones. Young Yun, director of the Platinum Card Concierge Service for American Express, believes in showing appreciation to business associates and bosses, too. 'Recognition is a really important part of professional relations -- more so now since we're all being asked to do more with less,' she says.

During the holiday season, Ms. Yun orders about a dozen gifts for her business associates -- and helps American Express clients select and order thousands of their gifts as well.

It's important to choose a present that is neither too generic nor too personal. The first will disappear into the mound of gifts that show up at this time of year, and the latter could make the recipient uncomfortable.

'To show that there was extra thought put into it,' Ms. Yun tries to reflect the recipient's interests as much as possible. She keeps gift-giving in mind throughout the year, filing away tidbits she hears in conversations. If someone mentions liking wine, for example, she may get him a leather-bound wine journal embossed with his initials; if a person mentions liking a certain spa, she may arrange for a gift certificate there. 'People have a lot of information at their disposal,' she says, noting that she pays close attention to casual chats before meetings start so that she can pick up on people's likes and dislikes.

After hearing one of her bosses, an avid cook, mention that she liked the sauces at a particular restaurant, Ms. Yun arranged for a gift basket from the restaurant that featured some of its sauces -- as well as a sauce recipe from the chef. 'She was surprised that I remembered that she liked the restaurant,' she says.

If you haven't been filing away tidbits during the year, Ms. Yun suggests doing a little sleuthing via Google or social-network sites like Facebook to get a general idea of the person's hobbies or preferences. Associates who like to travel have received set of chic Luxe guides to various cities. Someone with a sweet tooth received sets of Vosges chocolates that featured bacon and other unusual ingredients, which she said was 'less typical' than a box of chocolates.

Ms. Yun cautions gift-buyers not to get too personal, however. People generally should not buy 'clothing, jewelry or anything overly extravagant' for business associates, she says. 'If you don't know them too well, you don't want to cross personal boundaries,' she says.

If she doesn't have much information about a gift recipient, she generally turns to food, since 'most people like to eat.' One plus: 'It allows the recipient to share it with their team, so it's not just one person getting a gift.'

Ms. Yun avoids anything that looks pre-packaged, instead placing orders with atypical purveyors such as a local bakery that's famous for cupcakes or another baked good. 'Flowers are OK' but not her first choice, she says, as the recipient can't share those with his or her colleagues as easily.

Gifts to business associates should always go to the recipients' workplaces, even if you have the people's home addresses. The gifts should arrive no later than Dec. 15, as 'many people take time off at the end of the year.'

One last thing Ms. Yun does before her gifts go out: 'I write down what I've given to everyone,' she says. When you go to a lot of trouble to come up with a thoughtful gift, she says, 'you don't want to repeat that gift down the road.'