Holiday Office Gift Exchanges Blend Chaos With Clever Strategy

Participating in your office party gift exchange this holiday season? It's a great way to have a little fun and really mess with your coworker's heads. Really, think about the dynamics of the gift exchange at your holiday office Party. 

Now you may be wondering. 

So, you're asking yourself, why am I seeing images from the movie Elf in this article and the answer is I found it really difficult to find Images of Christmas office parties that I was allowed to use. I thought about using images from Die Hard because that is really the ultimate Christmas movie, but I decided to go with Elf instead. 

All those different personalities hoping to get something that they can actually use and trying to figure out how they can. Foist something that they really don't want onto somebody else and then watch their reaction. I know I have a negative attitude when it comes to the gift exchange. 

First, decide on the gift. 

For years what I have liked to do is buy some kind of chocolate for the gift exchange because it was just fun to watch everybody fight over it. Another great gift exchange item if you want to watch people jockey for a position to try to nab it from somebody else is alcohol. 

Most gift exchanges have a $20 rule. The gift you put in the pool has to be under 20 bucks. 

Are you in, or out? 

Last year I decided not to participate in the gift exchange because it takes so long to run its course. This year, I made a conscious decision to participate for two reasons. One, I was promised that the gift exchange wouldn't last that long, or at least as long as it had in the last couple of years. And secondly, I thought I had a great idea for my gift to add to the pool that could really generate some interesting action. 

I wasn't even sure I was going to participate until I was wandering through Costco on Sunday and saw something that I just could not keep myself from buying. I'm really looking forward to finding out who wants it, who doesn't want it, and what they're willing to do to get their way. 

What about game theory? 

There's an actual science. To the gift exchange and how to make it work for you. The whole process is based on game theory. 

There are actual scholarly papers that are written on the subject of gift exchange game theory.

According to Numberanalytics.com,
‘The Gift Exchange Game is a fundamental concept in Algorithmic Game Theory, providing insights into the dynamics of strategic interactions among players. This comprehensive guide will delve into the mechanics of the Gift Exchange Game, its significance, and its far-reaching implications in various fields.’ 

Their article is extremely deep, and I was not one that did well in mathematics. (Or logic for that matter.) I got into the first paragraph of the article, and it started to make my brain hurt. (Yes, sometimes I am a quitter.) 

At some level I just want to watch the game progress and savor the chaos. 

Have fun at your office party, get into the gift exchange, and Merry Christmas.

Ultimate Guide to Gift Exchange Game