How to personalize Christmas gifts for co-workers you don't know well

It's time once again to exchange Christmas gifts with your co-workers. You want to personalize your gift, but you haven't really gotten to know the person whose name you drew. You don't want to blow your secret Santa cover. What do you do?

How can you personalize Christmas gifts for co-workers you're not close friends with? How do you know what they like? How about having a little fun playing secret Santa detective? It's the best way to learn about your co-workers so you can personalize their gifts with amazing accuracy.

Talk to the boss

One person at your job knows at least a little about every employee. If you're truly stumped about what a co-worker might want as a Christmas gift, talk to the boss. It's the bosses job to get to know co-workers. This is the one person in the company that every person (hopefully) has daily conversations with. At the very least, the boss can clue you in to who your co-worker is friends with.

Talk to their friends

Spend some time talking to your co-workers friends. Ask about any hobbies or interests their friend has. Find out if they have mentioned anything they would like as a Christmas gift. It's OK to tell them why. A secret Santa only has to remain secret to the recipient of their Christmas gift. You can't personalize a gift for someone you know very little about.

Strike up a conversation

Hopefully, you will run across your co-worker in the break room sometime before Christmas. If you really want to personalize your secret Santa gift, get to know the recipient in person. Strike up a conversation of any kind. Talk about what you do in your spare time. Find out what your co-worker enjoys doing during non-work hours. This should help clue you in to what they might want for Christmas.

Listen in/pay attention

Maybe you aren't a people person. That doesn't prevent you from doing a little snooping around. Keep your eyes and ears open. Chances are you will overhear or observe something about your co-worker to help you personalize their Christmas gift.

Maybe they're always talking about motorcycles, horses or art. Maybe they have an interesting piece of jewelry that reflects their taste. This is all good information you can use to personalize a co-workers Christmas gift. Do try to talk to your co-workers, though. In addition to helping you personalize gifts, it will help you move forward in your job and life in general.