Social anxiety is a real thing in the workplace. No matter how you cut it, water cooler chat enhances company culture by bringing people together on a more personal level. What so many leading companies have in common is employees who feel supported and empowered. Incorporate it into your culture by encouraging employees to enjoy their time working, learning, and growing in your company. That is where water cooler talk comes in. No company culture can thrive without strong employee engagement. The more you can drive this home, the greater the potential for your company. It also unifies your company, which is essentially a group of people working towards a common goal or a greater good. In fact for some employees, it’s a stronger motivator than salaries and raises. These days, a strong workplace culture is important. 11 smart reasons to encourage water cooler chat.Īre you wondering why water cooler talk is important in today’s digital-centric world? Start here and remember there are many more reasons, too. This will grow your business and build employee relationships. Water cooler conversations gives your employees the freedom to take casual breaks, enjoy each others company, and regroup. The beauty of the water cooler chat is that everyone, at some point, needs it-and it can even be done on your company intranet. In fact, they’re adding to common workplace stressors, which lowers morale and the quality of work. They also tend to limit employees’ break time into short intervals, like two 15 minute breaks and a half hour lunch (a minute over, and you’re getting written up!) Their intentions might be in the right place, but 97% of the time, they’re not building a more productive and engaged staff. Instead of encouraging this practice (and understanding the benefits involved), they focus on the work and discourage breaks. Some managers think that water cooler chat hinders productivity in the workplace. But unfortunately, the water cooler chat gets a bad rap. Every company can do it, regardless if employees work remotely or in a physical office everyday. Water cooler chat has existed well before the invention of the water cooler, and for good reason-it gives humans a much needed break from the next task. It’s a chance to let everyone reset by talking about less stressful things, like hobbies and personal interests-fun topics not associated with work. Water cooler chat, or water cooler talk, or water cooler conversation (whatever you want to call it), is what happens when colleagues take a break from work and socialize with each other. So, what’s the solution?īelieve it or not, taking more breaks at work in what we like to call “water cooler chat” helps a lot. We get stuck in routines, deadlines, and mindlessly move through the motions to get it all done. We’re so often in a constant state of autopilot, which even the most productive people fall prey to. Surprisingly, many people live their lives without thinking about what they’re doing. Have you ever taken time at the end of the workday to reflect on what you actually did?
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