Can you "brown nose" without being a "brown nose"?

My direct line manager is my director, who has been very good to me this year, and I wanted to get him a bottle of something nice for Christmas, as a way of thanks is this acceptable or shall I be branded a brown nose forever more.....

your nose would be the brownest,
a pint at the office do is more than enough.
And I'd acompany it with "the others would hang me if they knew I'd bought you a pint but I just wanted to say thanks for your help this year"

He'll really apprechiate it, but co-workers will always think you're a brown nose even for saying thanks. Sad truth

Originally Posted by Owenski

your nose would be the brownest,
a pint at the office do is more than enough.
And I'd acompany it with "the others would hang me if they knew I'd bought you a pint but I just wanted to say thanks for your help this year"

He'll really apprechiate it, but co-workers will always think you're a brown nose even for saying thanks. Sad truth

This

secret santa... followed by a private admission it was from you.
what the others dont know wont hurt them


Brown nose

[Biker Biggles]

Never buy your boss anything.If you want to say thanks for any help given do it verbally face to face and leave it at that.If you cant do it face to face a seasonal card with a few lines(written ones not white ones)to say thanks is ok.

[Wideboy]

Or give him a quikie. That way neither of you will want anyone to know

Originally Posted by collis

secret santa... followed by a private admission it was from you.
what the others dont know wont hurt them


Brown nose

Doesn't that only work if everyone does secret santa?

[Drew Carey]

Personally, just buy him the bottle, hand it over in a 1-2-1 and just say - "Cheers for all your help this year, been really appreciated what you have done so thought would give you a bottle to enjoy over Xmas".

Thanks doesn't have to go one way and I think it is good that you are happy to do this.

Originally Posted by Drew Carey

Personally, just buy him the bottle, hand it over in a 1-2-1 and just say - "Cheers for all your help this year, been really appreciated what you have done so thought would give you a bottle to enjoy over Xmas".

Thanks doesn't have to go one way and I think it is good that you are happy to do this.

Thats all good in a gravy world but it only takes one person to see the bottle and ask "where'd that come from?"
Boss then boastfully drops OP in it and once again you've got a brown nose.

The boss is there to make sure you get the company the money they need, if he's doing you any favours its either because he wants to jump your bones or because its in his interest.
Either way buying him a gift is going to unleash the cat.

[dizzyblonde]

Just say thanks for all the help in a christmas card. No gifts. Thing is you can note a 'thanks' in this way, and can be totally brown nose free. There will be no funny bottles on desks to be talked about, but a card with a simple message won't be seen as anything out of the ordinary.