National Boss Day Ideas To Show Appreciation 2020

As with most things in 2020, National Boss Day looks a little different this year. With many teams working remotely, or in some cases alternating between home and office, celebrating your boss might not be the easiest thing to do.

It may be tempting to skip out on the holiday altogether this year, but consider this as an opportunity to build your current relationship with your boss. Research shows that a strong employee-manager relationship can actually help you succeed in your career. These relationships can lead to higher employee productivity, improved morale, and upward mobility. Furthermore, employee engagement plays a key role in employee retention and overall company growth.

So with that in mind, we’ve rounded up some fun ways to build a relationship and celebrate your boss this year. And if sending flowers or gifts to your boss makes you squirm, don’t worry. We know days like this can be tricky and awkward to navigate, but we’ve got you covered. Here are 7 ways to celebrate National Boss Day this year, no matter where you happen to be working.

Organize a virtual team activity.

This is a holiday after all, and holidays call for activities. If your boss is someone who values team connection and camaraderie, nothing says “we care about you!” quite like bringing your entire team together for a group activity. Luckily for us, there is no shortage of virtual team building activities to choose from these days. Thriver is one of our favorite platforms for team activities. Thriver offers a wide range of virtual activities that are all led by certified professionals. This means you can relax and enjoy the fun, while they handle the planning and organizing. Some of Thriver’s fun team activities include:

Virtual escape room
Virtual magic show
Virtual team trivia

Treat your boss to lunch or coffee.

Does your boss have a favorite go-to lunch or coffee spot? If you’re working from home, browse some of your local delivery apps like Grubhub or UberEats to deliver something tasty right to their doorstep. You could also put some time on their calendar for a “virtual lunch” after their food arrives. If you are actually going into the office, surprise your boss with a desk-side lunch delivery. You can always get a gift card if you don’t know your boss’s exact order.

Plan a Zoom surprise party.

Speaking from experience, starting a Zoom call and seeing 20 unexpected faces is just as shocking as a surprise party in real life. Coordinating a zoom surprise party is a fun way to bring your team together, while also showing your boss how much you appreciate them.

Important notes: Make sure you create 2 different calendar invitations, one for your boss and one for the party guests. Also instruct guests to arrive in the Zoom room 5 minutes before schedule (with cameras and microphones on) for maximum shock effect when your boss logs in. You can also organize a group game or put together a photo slideshow for extra fun after the surprise.

Bonus tip: if your team uses a project management tool like Hive, you can use the Zoom integration to hop into a Zoom meeting right from your dashboard.

Send an ecard.

Passing a thank-you card around the office for everyone to sign might be out of the question this year, but it doesn’t mean you have to totally give up on the idea, especially if it’s accompanied by a little incentive. There are many virtual card services that let you customize and send ecards digitally, without ever having to touch pen or paper. But did we mention its easy and affordable? For example, you can send a free ecard from Punchbowl. All you have to do is sign up for a free account and choose from one of the many Boss’s Day ecards they offer.

You can send an ecard on your own, or you can step it up and organize a group greeting card from your entire team. Websites like Kudoboard are making it easier than ever for your entire team to sign a virtual card. After you create a card on the Kudoboard platform, you can customize the content and invite others to sign with messages, photos, videos, and even GIFs. It also allows you to schedule and deliver the card to the recipient at a later time. You won’t have to worry about keeping track of a paper card ever again.

Send them something practical.

If you feel comfortable giving your boss a small gift, think about something they would actually use everyday, like a new coffee mug, a fun notebook, or a decorative calendar desk. You can also brainstorm around their hobbies and interests. Do you notice them reading books from one particular author? Do they talk about a specific podcast all the time, or maybe listen to a certain genre of music? This is a great way to show your boss that you are not only observant, but you’re also thoughtful. The best gifts aren’t about the monetary value of the item– it’s the thought that counts.

Offer to take something off their plate.

This sounds like a no-brainer, but think about the last time you actually offered to take work from your boss. Obviously there are some tasks you won’t be able to tackle, but there is no harm in asking. The thought is what they will remember, and who knows, maybe taking some initiative will pay off in more responsibility down the road.

Bonus tip: If you use Hive, you can do this by finding an overdue task on their to-do list and completing it for them.

Say Thank You.

A simple thank you can be more meaningful than any gift. It doesn’t have to be fancy– simply reach out to your boss on Slack or shoot them a quick email to let them know they are appreciated. If your boss appreciates humor, consider sending them one of these memes about great bosses. However you get your message across, the thoughtfulness won’t go unnoticed.

We hope you have a Happy National Boss Day! Let us know how you are celebrating in the comments below, and don’t forget to tag Hive on Twitter or LinkedIn if you try any of these ideas!

Hive is the project management tool that powers fast moving teams at places like Starbucks, Google, Comcast, Anheuser-Busch, Toyota and EA Sports. Want to learn more about how Hive can help your team? Contact our sales team here, or try a free trial here (no credit card required).