I have no idea what to get for the office gift exchange

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.

A reader writes:

I’ve signed up to participate in my office’s gift swap, where everyone is supposed to bring a wrapped gift and we’ll each pick one to open. I think it’s a Yankee Swap, where people will pick one at a time and then can either keep what they opened or “steal” someone else’s gift. Since I don’t know who’s going to end up taking home whatever I bring, I have no idea how to shop for this! What’s a good generic gift to bring when you don’t know who it will be for?

You can read my answer to this letter at New York Magazine today, where I’m also answering these additional questions about holiday gift-giving at work:

• Should I give my boss a gift?
• Should I get my employees gifts?
• My boss wants an expensive gift!
• My company gives terrible gifts
• My coworker gives me a gift every year – should I be reciprocating?