Top 5 favorite ways to thank your team for a year of good work

5. If your budget is literally zero, you can still choose to set aside time for socializing with a potluck on site. Take the time to prepare a speech or email for everyone, thanking them for their specific projects and efforts this year.

4. If your budget is small or your team is huge, go for something easy + something heartfelt. Try a baked good from a local bakery + a little note about what your team's impact has been this year.

3. If you've got the budget for a good event, throw a good event! It's fine if this is in your office or somewhere else easy to put together, as long as you've got a fun activity or two and some good food.

2. If your team is small enough, take them out on the town; nothing is so bonding as watching your boss do bad karaoke. If your team has some emotions to work out at the end of the year, try axe throwing. (Seriously.)

1. The best holiday gift you can give your team is 1) foresight about active projects to help them actually get offline through the holidays, 2) making it a policy that folks leave their laptops at the office when they go home for the holidays, and 3) leading by example. Don't email anyone or ask for anything during any of the major winter holidays.