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Motivational gifts

Motivational gifts for a team in the middle of a push

A motivational gift works when it arrives mid-push with a note that names the effort. Real chocolate gifts from $22, or an hour together as the gift.

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Motivational gift ideas by the push your team is in

When the gift lands best, a typical budget, one real gift and a note that names the effort.

A product launch

When:
The week before launch, when the list of fixes is longest and the date can't move.
Budget:
$40 to $100 to share
Gift:
Hampton Duo Tower, $82

Nine days out and the bug list is shorter every morning. Open this at standup and keep going.

Busy season

When:
The first Monday of the rush: tax season, year-end close, the holiday retail weeks.
Budget:
Under $40 each
Gift:
Quogue Luxury Gift Box (Small), $36

Close starts Monday and I know what the next three weeks look like. This is for the desk drawer.

A hard quarter

When:
Midway through, after the bad news and before anyone has given up on the number.
Budget:
Under $40 each
Gift:
The Bridgehampton, $38

We're behind and you're still making the calls. That effort is what turns a quarter around.

Exam or certification prep

When:
A week or two before the exam date, while they're still studying, not after the results.
Budget:
Under $40 each
Gift:
Signature Truffle Collection, $32

Four months of evenings with practice tests. Whatever Saturday brings, the prep was real.

The middle of a long project

When:
At the halfway mark, when the kickoff energy is gone and the finish line isn't visible yet.
Budget:
$40 to $100
Gift:
The Westhampton, $58

Halfway through the migration and nothing has broken that you didn't catch first. Here's to the second half.

A team going through a big change

When:
In the first weeks of a reorg, a new system or a new manager, when everything takes longer.
Budget:
$40 to $100
Gift:
Quogue Luxury Gift Box (Medium), $58

New tools, new process, same customers to look after. You're learning it faster than anyone expected.

The note does the motivating

The gift gets the note opened. Three parts, one or two sentences, written by you.

  1. 1.Name the push.
  2. 2.Name one thing you've seen them do.
  3. 3.Offer real help, not just cheer.

In the middle of it

  • Every reconciliation is in on time and we're only halfway through close. The second half is yours to win.
  • You've rewritten the onboarding flow twice this month and it got better both times. I've cleared Thursday's meetings for you.

Before an exam or a deadline

  • Good luck on the exam Saturday. You've done the hours, so trust them, and take Friday afternoon off to rest.
  • Demo day is Tuesday. The build you showed me last week was ready; the rest is polish.

After a setback

  • We missed the number this quarter and nobody stopped trying. That's the team I want going into the next one.
  • The rollout was rough and you kept customers calm through all of it. Let's pick the next step together on Monday.

Need more wording? Borrow a line from our words of encouragement for coworkers or our motivational quotes for work, then add one sentence of your own.

Motivational gifts by budget

Real prices per gift, before shipping and branding. Pick one tier for everyone in the same push.

Under $40: one for everyone in the push

The same small gift for every person on the launch, the close or the study group, so nobody is left out.

$40 to $100: one person carrying a lot, or a team to share

A full box for the person holding the hardest part, or a tower the team opens together midweek.

$100 to $200: a whole department through a long season

One larger box for a department's break room, set out on the first morning of the rush.

$200 and up: a once-a-year push

For the season that makes or breaks the year, shared by the whole group.

Every gift opens our partner store, where you can order online. Sending to a long list or adding your logo? Get a free quote with volume pricing instead.

When to send a motivational gift

While the work is still hard, with no strings attached.

  • Midway, not at the finish.

    A gift after the work is a thank-you. Encouragement lands while the work is still hard.

  • The Monday of the hardest week.

    Look at the calendar and pick the week people dread. Arrive at the start of it.

  • Before the exam, not after the results.

    Results are private and can disappoint. The preparation is what you've seen, so cheer that.

  • Never as a carrot.

    A gift promised for hitting a number is an incentive. People read it as pressure, not support.

  • Leave time for shipping.

    About 2 to 3 weeks for smaller unbranded orders, and 4 to 6 weeks for 100 or more gifts or anything branded.

Give the team an hour off together

In a long push, a break the whole team shares can do more than a box. A live host runs each one; kit workshops ship the supplies to every guest.

Sessions run about 60 minutes on Zoom by default (Teams, Meet or Webex on request) and book about 2 weeks ahead. Kit workshops include continental US shipping; book about 3 weeks ahead for US addresses, or about 5 weeks with guests in Canada or abroad. More in experience gifts and team building kits.

Make a motivational gift count

Specific, fair and backed by something real.

  • Pair it with relief.

    Cancel a meeting, cover a shift or move a deadline that can move. The gift says you noticed; the relief proves it.

  • Same push, same gift.

    Everyone who's in the crunch gets the same thing, including the people picking up the extra tickets.

  • Write it yourself.

    One sentence from you about what you've seen beats a printed slogan on a mug.

  • Say it out loud too.

    Mention the effort in the team meeting the day the gift arrives, so it isn't a box with no context.

  • Keep it about effort.

    Name the work, the care and the progress, not the target. Effort is what people control.

  • Check for allergies.

    Our gifts are chocolate. Check the ingredient details and ask us for an alternative for anyone who can't have it.

A gift is one small lever. For the bigger picture, see how to motivate employees.

Motivational gift questions

What are good motivational gifts for employees?

Something they can enjoy during the hard stretch, like a chocolate gift box at their desk or a tower the team opens together, sent with a note that names the effort. A shared hour off, like a hosted workshop, also works. Skip slogan merch; your own sentence motivates more.

When should you give a motivational gift?

In the middle of the push, ideally at the start of the hardest week: launch week, the first Monday of busy season, or a week or two before an exam. A gift after the work is done is a thank-you, which is good too, but it isn't encouragement.

How much should you spend on a motivational gift?

Under $40 a person covers everyone in a push. $40 to $100 suits one person carrying the hardest part or a gift a team shares. Our gifts run from $22 to $432. Spend the same on everyone in the same push so nobody compares.

What should a motivational gift note say?

Name the push, name one thing you've seen them do, and offer real help. For example: "Halfway through close and every reconciliation is on time. I've cleared Thursday's meetings for you." Effort and progress, not targets.

Is a motivational gift the same as an incentive?

No. An incentive is promised in advance for hitting a goal. A motivational gift is given with no conditions, to support people during the work. Promising a gift for a number turns encouragement into pressure.

What are inexpensive motivational gift ideas?

A $22 to $38 chocolate box with a handwritten note, a cleared afternoon, a canceled meeting or a public shout-out in the team channel. The note and the relief do most of the motivating; the gift carries them.

Can a team event be a motivational gift?

Yes. A kit workshop, where the supplies ship to every guest, or a hosted session gives a team in a long push an hour off together. Hosted sessions book about 2 weeks ahead and kit workshops about 3 weeks ahead for US addresses.

Can you ship motivational gifts to people working from home?

Yes. Send a spreadsheet of names and addresses and each gift is packed and shipped individually, in the US and internationally, with your note inside. Timing and regional shipping charges depend on the destination list.

Encourage the whole team, on time

Tell us the push, your headcount, budget and the week it gets hard, and we will come back with a gift plan and a quote.

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