Water bottles are more popular than ever. They come in a range of sizes, colors, and shapes. You can even customize yours with a picture of your kids, pets, or motivational quote (for those who need it!).
Despite all that, people still gravitate to the water cooler at the office. It’s not because the water tastes better or that using those little paper cups brings a superior drinking experience.
It’s because the water cooler has become synonymous with taking a break, relaxing the mind, and possibly bumping into a co-worker for some chit-chat. Sadly, it’s gone missing in the virtual environment, and we need to bring it back. Here’s why:
1. Water cooler talk is easy-going and casual, and that helps ideas flow
Sometimes the best ideas come to the surface when we’re relaxed. Ever notice how they seem to pop up when you’re doing casual activities like shopping, listening to music, or working out? That’s because inspiration flows for many people in the absence of pressure. The water cooler is a place where we can chill out, relax, and allow ideas to pop up in an informal way.
2. The water cooler gives us an excuse to take a break
Taking breaks benefits mental and physical health, improves productivity, and increases motivation. That’s why the water cooler represents more than just hydration for many people. It gives us an excuse to get up, move our body, focus attention somewhere else, and then get back to work with a fresh state of mind.
3. Water cooler chat helps us get social
No matter how much technology engrains itself into our lives, we’re still humans at the end of the day. Gathering around the water cooler gives us an opportunity to connect in a way that just doesn’t happen during regular meetings and work-related events.
4. Informal chats lift our spirits
The water cooler gives us a place to have lighthearted conversations on a range of topics outside of work. Taking some time to share stories and have a laugh creates cascades of “feel-good” hormones like dopamine that can last for hours.
5. Water cooler breaks rewire our brain
Some people believe that developing the ability to improve focus is a way to increase productivity. That’s not the case for Dr. Srini Pillay, a Harvard-trained neuroscientist and author of Tinker Dabble Doodle Try – a guide to harnessing the power of your brain through unfocused activity.
Dr. Pillay recommends planned, unfocused activities to re-stimulate the brain for increased productivity, innovation and creativity. The “tinker” part of his method involves playing with concepts that help release the mind so it enters a frame of possibility. For many people, a visit to the water cooler is a way to stimulate that process – whether they realized it or not!
6. The water cooler gives introverts a place to open up
Extroverted people sometimes don’t realize how anxiety and shyness can paralyze a person into being unable to communicate in group settings. An introverted person may have great ideas to share but just doesn’t have the confidence to speak up at a meeting.
That can be tragic because the very nature of being introverted (and in your head) can actually produce a lot of great ideas! The water cooler is a possible place where we can get these people to come out of their shells, and share what’s going on in their heads.
7. Water cooler talk strengthens relationships
All the above benefits demonstrate how water cooler talk helps strengthen relationships at work. Think about it: you spend more time with your coworkers than with your family and friends. These are the people you communicate with on a daily basis, and the more you invest in those relationships the better the work environment will be.
Ok, I get it, we need water cooler talk. So how can we do it digitally?
That’s a good question, and answering it requires creativity.
The reality is that the platforms used in virtual work environments don’t really encourage (by default) casual, informal encounters like “bumping” into someone at an actual water cooler. That’s why managers need to find creative ways to create spaces where free-flowing, unscripted and casual conversations can take place.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
1. Create an open channel on your collaboration tool
Set up an open channel on Slack, Basecamp, Kissflow, Clickup, or other productivity tool where team members can post links and share ideas.
2. Use a random chat matchmaker
Apps like Donut for Slack will randomly connect people together for an informal call with no agenda. It’s one of the ways you can engineer randomness back into the digital office experience.
3. Open virtual meeting rooms ahead of time
Planning to start a meeting at 11:00 a.m.? Try making the “official” meeting time fifteen minutes later and open up the room early with an invitation for everyone to jump on early and have a chat.
4. Plan virtual breakfasts or lunches
Humans have been sharing meals and lively conversations for as far back as our collective memory goes. Managers can duplicate that by setting up a virtual team meal to get everyone together for a casual, unplanned gathering.
5. Set up a meeting to discuss a project…then change it right before it takes place
To get an informal, unscripted conversation going, plan a meeting with a predetermined topic and agenda. Once everyone arrives, tell them that you’re swapping it in favor of a session of check-in questions, or just informal banter. Get ready to take notes!
Support your team with communication tactics that get ideas to flow
Many of us miss the water cooler talk, but that doesn’t mean it’s gone forever. Managers just need to get creative and leverage technology to connect their teams, help them build relationships, and increase chemistry.
Water cooler talk is unscripted, fun and casual. It helps bring people out of their shells so ideas can flow. It may not provide hydration to the body, but it can definitely nourish the collective spirit of your team.
Water bottles are more popular than ever. They come in a range of sizes, colors, and shapes. You can even customize yours with a picture of your kids, pets, or motivational quote (for those who need it!).
Despite all that, people still gravitate to the water cooler at the office. It’s not because the water tastes better or that using those little paper cups brings a superior drinking experience.
It’s because the water cooler has become synonymous with taking a break, relaxing the mind, and possibly bumping into a co-worker for some chit-chat. Sadly, it’s gone missing in the virtual environment, and we need to bring it back. Here’s why:
1. Water cooler talk is easy-going and casual, and that helps ideas flow
Sometimes the best ideas come to the surface when we’re relaxed. Ever notice how they seem to pop up when you’re doing casual activities like shopping, listening to music, or working out? That’s because inspiration flows for many people in the absence of pressure. The water cooler is a place where we can chill out, relax, and allow ideas to pop up in an informal way.
2. The water cooler gives us an excuse to take a break
Taking breaks benefits mental and physical health, improves productivity, and increases motivation. That’s why the water cooler represents more than just hydration for many people. It gives us an excuse to get up, move our body, focus attention somewhere else, and then get back to work with a fresh state of mind.
3. Water cooler chat helps us get social
No matter how much technology engrains itself into our lives, we’re still humans at the end of the day. Gathering around the water cooler gives us an opportunity to connect in a way that just doesn’t happen during regular meetings and work-related events.
4. Informal chats lift our spirits
The water cooler gives us a place to have lighthearted conversations on a range of topics outside of work. Taking some time to share stories and have a laugh creates cascades of “feel-good” hormones like dopamine that can last for hours.
5. Water cooler breaks rewire our brain
Some people believe that developing the ability to improve focus is a way to increase productivity. That’s not the case for Dr. Srini Pillay, a Harvard-trained neuroscientist and author of Tinker Dabble Doodle Try – a guide to harnessing the power of your brain through unfocused activity.
Dr. Pillay recommends planned, unfocused activities to re-stimulate the brain for increased productivity, innovation and creativity. The “tinker” part of his method involves playing with concepts that help release the mind so it enters a frame of possibility. For many people, a visit to the water cooler is a way to stimulate that process – whether they realized it or not!
6. The water cooler gives introverts a place to open up
Extroverted people sometimes don’t realize how anxiety and shyness can paralyze a person into being unable to communicate in group settings. An introverted person may have great ideas to share but just doesn’t have the confidence to speak up at a meeting.
That can be tragic because the very nature of being introverted (and in your head) can actually produce a lot of great ideas! The water cooler is a possible place where we can get these people to come out of their shells, and share what’s going on in their heads.
7. Water cooler talk strengthens relationships
All the above benefits demonstrate how water cooler talk helps strengthen relationships at work. Think about it: you spend more time with your coworkers than with your family and friends. These are the people you communicate with on a daily basis, and the more you invest in those relationships the better the work environment will be.
Ok, I get it, we need water cooler talk. So how can we do it digitally?
That’s a good question, and answering it requires creativity.
The reality is that the platforms used in virtual work environments don’t really encourage (by default) casual, informal encounters like “bumping” into someone at an actual water cooler. That’s why managers need to find creative ways to create spaces where free-flowing, unscripted and casual conversations can take place.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
1. Create an open channel on your collaboration tool
Set up an open channel on Slack, Basecamp, Kissflow, Clickup, or other productivity tool where team members can post links and share ideas.
2. Use a random chat matchmaker
Apps like Donut for Slack will randomly connect people together for an informal call with no agenda. It’s one of the ways you can engineer randomness back into the digital office experience.
3. Open virtual meeting rooms ahead of time
Planning to start a meeting at 11:00 a.m.? Try making the “official” meeting time fifteen minutes later and open up the room early with an invitation for everyone to jump on early and have a chat.
4. Plan virtual breakfasts or lunches
Humans have been sharing meals and lively conversations for as far back as our collective memory goes. Managers can duplicate that by setting up a virtual team meal to get everyone together for a casual, unplanned gathering.
5. Set up a meeting to discuss a project…then change it right before it takes place
To get an informal, unscripted conversation going, plan a meeting with a predetermined topic and agenda. Once everyone arrives, tell them that you’re swapping it in favor of a session of check-in questions, or just informal banter. Get ready to take notes!
Support your team with communication tactics that get ideas to flow
Many of us miss the water cooler talk, but that doesn’t mean it’s gone forever. Managers just need to get creative and leverage technology to connect their teams, help them build relationships, and increase chemistry.
Water cooler talk is unscripted, fun and casual. It helps bring people out of their shells so ideas can flow. It may not provide hydration to the body, but it can definitely nourish the collective spirit of your team.
