I love intangible gifts. Experiences, support, a kind word. Once, I got a gift of a hot air balloon ride. That ranks up there.
Opportunities for giving intangible gifts are all around us. What intangible gifts have you received? Here are some of mine:
16 years with a company headed by a leader who allowed me to make tons – tons! – of mistakes for the sake of growth.
A mentor who was willing to teach a wide-eyed college student computer programming for statistical analyses of large clinical data sets. (I only learned later that it was something people received years of training for and was in considerably high demand.)
Coworkers who became my good friends. And were in my wedding.
A client who used her rah-rah “get ‘er done” Texan approach without giving me grief when I messed up.
An entire team answering my rally call. Wow.
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These are the things that stick with you. Every one of us has tremendous gifts that we impart on others, maybe without even realizing it. Use of these gifts usually sticks with someone else, and you may never know it.
How cool is that?
Remember the intangibles, both in the job and beyond. What intangible gifts could you share with others?