Flowers are one of the best possible ways to show you care, or to show your thanks. However, it will depend on the person to whom you’re giving those flowers. For example, if you’ve got some big burly lumberjack who did a good job removing a tree stump from your front yard, he’s probably going to be more interested in a case of beer than a bouquet.
However, if you’re on the sales floor of your company and Janice two cubicles over helps smooth out a particularly “hairy” situation with a client, preserving that client (and your associated reputation), then a fine bouquet of flowers with a nice card may be precisely the way to show your thanks.
Especially in professional circles, flowers tend to be professionally communicative, and when properly presented, have nothing suggestive about them. While they are more popular with women than men, some men are equally flattered by a fine floral arrangement. Ladies, though, tend to be the ideal recipient of this particular expression of gratitude.
Still, there are some associated best practices if you’re looking to communicate the right message in a professionally platonic way. Following we’ll explore a few things you might consider as you go about buying flowers to show how thankful you are to your female coworkers.
1. Get Them For The Right Reasons
If you’re buying a female coworker a bouquet of flowers every other day or once a week, they’re going to think you’ve got more on your mind than just gratitude. The first move is to use this means of showing appreciation appropriately. Wait for your female coworkers to do something noteworthy which may affect more people than just you.
For example, if you’re in a “team” of coworkers, and one of the ladies in that team takes the initiative in a way that’s good for business, that may be an appropriate time to buy flowers. Or, if she’s getting promoted, or about to leave, you might show your thanks to her professionalism with a quality bouquet. Give flowers for the right reasons.
Events like birthdays are a good excuse, as are holidays. Additionally, there’s always bereavement. Today’s world is very sensitive about the “little” stuff, though. You definitely want to be sure you’re not making anyone incidentally uncomfortable. So be sure you take that into account.
Also, if you aren’t alone when you give someone flowers, that will make it look less like you’re trying to flirt with them. So few people give women flowers these days, except in a romantic situation, it’s hard for ladies not to think that’s what you’re up to.
2. Present Those Flowers Properly
Presentation is key. A bunch of dandelions and daisies you picked on the way to the office and stuck in a soda bottle—well, that’s probably not the way to go. Some girls may prefer that, but think critically: does that seem like the right approach for most ladies in your office? In contrast, spending $100 on some expressive bouquet is likely overkill.
You want to present flowers of appropriate value with a little note of thanks, and be sure the note isn’t suggestive. Though professionalism advocates floral gifts, you still have to be careful—especially if the lady you’re looking to thank is a little “skittish” around males.
Also, sometimes you might strike a contrast by getting her a plant that flowers, rather than a bouquet. Certainly, it depends on the situation. What’s nice about flowers is, because they wilt, they’re not an extra “chore” that lasts for years.
At any rate, be strategic when it comes to presentation. To sum it up in a nutshell: bargain bouquets are fine fodder for thanks and a terrible idea for an angry spouse.
3. Lean On Professional Expertise To Inform Your Floral Choice
Next, purchase thank you flowers from companies who understand just the right tone for a given bouquet. Let’s face it. Guys don’t always know the message of particular flower arrangements. So get a little professional help. You can also find some great bouquet ideas here.
You don’t want a dozen sensuous roses sent to your office secretary—especially if she’s single. Bargain multi-colored arrangements with a good note are better. If the note has some kitschy phrase that practically banishes romance from the mind, even better. A cheesy “dad” level joke may suffice; those certainly aren’t sexy.
4. Assure The Flowers Are Easy To Manage
This was briefly touched on earlier – you’re not looking to give someone a chore they didn’t have as a gift of recognition. That’s just not a good way to say thank you.
Flowers should come in a balanced vase that’s easy to water. Also, the bouquet shouldn’t be so large she can’t fit it on her desk; that’s the sort of bouquet you give to someone you’re dating or married to so they can take it home. Thank you flowers will probably stay at your coworker’s desk till they die – the flowers, not the coworker.
5. Specify The Message You Mean To Intend
Speaking of notes, you want to use neutral language that clearly outlines the specific item for which you’re thanking your female coworker, and uses no suggestive wording whatever. Everybody reads more into things like this than they should, and you’ve got to anticipate that. A dad joke, as pointed out earlier, could be appropriate.
You could be purely clinical–you might say something to the effect of: “Those hardware pings on the night servers were very quickly taken care of. You made work much easier for me this week, and I just want to say thanks.” Steer clear of funny little rhymes and poetry.
Communicating Gratitude Through Fine Flowers
Specify intended messages, make flowers easy to manage, lean on professional expertise, properly present flowers, and be sure you purchase them for the right reasons. When you put proper thought into floral arrangements as thank you gifts for female coworkers in this way, they’ll get the message, and it will be good for you as well as your team.