If you're my sister, stop reading (You can come back after Christmas and finish). Giving gifts to support one's core competencies. MR says People have different selves and when we give a gift, we should give not to the economical self, but to the wild self, something they normally wouldn't get themselves. More than that, we should focus on the core competencies of the person so that our gifts actually enhance their innate abilities. This way we're not only giving a gift, but saying actually complimenting them at the same time. Like, "You have such an ability convey emotion through words that I want to encourage your development in that area." I'm proud of myself this year and so I want to share some gifts that I think hit at the core attributes of the person I am buying for. My sister is a great writer, but never has time to do it. I want to encourage that ability in her.

Lap Desk- This lap desk is meant for reading/writing/working in bed or in front of the TV. But I'm hoping that it gets used for midnight/morning twilight inspiration. You know when you wake up at 4am with a great idea, but the thought of getting up to find a pen and paper isn't appealing? This is a comfortable desk, just waiting for you. Built in lamp and heating unit with a storage box inside. I think this may be one of my greatest gifts ever.

Storyboard Notebook- Also to encourage writing, I bought a little notebook that has storyboard frames on each page. This is commonly used for advertisers, cartoonists, etc to frame their whole sequence before going to the final drawing board. However I think it is great for writers as well. Instead of laying an outline, they can use the creative side of their brain to layout the plot and storyline before bringing their characters or ideas to life. Thanks to 37signals.

These are both gifts to bring out the writer in my sister and support her core competencies. It was between this and a back massager and I like how this path is turning out.

What are some other core competency gifts that you've been looking at?

Labels: core competencies, gifts