Gifts for a Male Boss: Thoughtful, Not Awkward

A gift for your boss has to do a careful job. Too personal and it is awkward; too expensive and it looks like you are angling for something; too jokey and it is a risk. The goal is narrow but easy to hit once you see it: a small, well-made thing for his desk that he will enjoy using and is happy for anyone to see.

The test: would he leave it on his desk during a meeting with his own boss?

The etiquette of giving upwards

• Give as a team. In most offices, a gift from the whole team is more comfortable than one from a single person. It is warmer, too: it says "from all of us".
• Keep it modest. A boss earns more than his staff; nobody expects an expensive gift, and a lavish one can embarrass him.
• Nothing personal. Clothing, fragrance and anything for his home are best left to family.
• Mind the occasion. Christmas and a farewell are the usual moments. Boss's Day falls in October in the United States, and a birthday is fine if your team marks everyone's.

Desk toys he will actually use

A desk toy is the classic boss gift for good reason: it lives at work, it is impersonal, and it gives restless hands something to do on a long call.

• A flip fidget. A solid metal pyramid you flick into a spin that seems to go on and on, then lands flat with a satisfying clack. Small, heavy, and quietly impressive.
• A Newton's cradle. The original executive desk toy, and still the best conversation piece on a desk. How a Newton's cradle works.
• A precision spinning top. Machined metal that spins for minutes. Ten seconds of calm between meetings. How to spin a spinning top.
• An infinity cube. Eight hinged metal blocks that fold endlessly and silently — far quieter than a clicking pen. How to use an infinity cube.

More in executive desk toys.

Something a little more personal

If you know him well, or the team wants to mark a milestone:

• A quill pen. For the boss who signs a lot of letters and cards, or who simply likes writing by hand. How to write with a quill.
• A pocket compass. A good farewell gift: "for your next direction". An antique bronze case with a hinged lid makes it a keepsake.
• A magnetic chess set. For the boss who plays — or for the break room, so the whole team can.
• A black and gold deck of cards. For a boss who hosts a team card night, or keeps a deck in his drawer for the train.

Gifts for a male boss leaving

A farewell gift can carry a little more meaning, because it marks the end of working together.

• Pair the gift with a card signed by everyone, with a line or two each.
• Choose something with a story: a compass for the next chapter, a pen to sign the first letter at the new job.
• Avoid in-jokes that only half the team understands.

What to avoid

• Alcohol, unless you know he drinks and the company culture is relaxed about it.
• Gag gifts. They are funnier in the planning than the giving.
• Anything that suggests he needs improving: self-help books, gym gear, desk organisers.

For a broader list of office gifts, see Secret Santa gifts for coworkers, and for a boss who is retiring rather than moving on, retirement gifts for men.