10 replacements for the Glorious Water Cooler
Discover more from All Remote - with Mark Wormgoor
10 replacements for the Glorious Water Cooler
or... the office coffee machine
Hey everyone!
Before I start, a couple of personal updates. I’ve missed sending this newsletter over the past 2 weeks.
Moving…
I sold my old house and bought a new one. It’s a lovely home in Utrecht. Due to the current market, I wanted to sell my house first before buying a new one. The result - I was homeless for a couple of weeks. At the end of January, I sold my old house, with most of my stuff moving to storage, and moved into a vacation rental. Mid-February, I got the keys to my new house. After a lot of work (7 days a week, ±12 hours / day - we wanted to move as soon as possible), we finally moved a week ago.
The preparations, and the actual move have taken a lot of time and energy since last summer, so it’s good to be settled now! There’s certainly still some small work to be done, but we’re 90% there. I spent last week catching up on work, but am fully back now - it feels good to be back!
The move did create some anxiety, as I have so many ideas that I want to work on and talk about - but left them all for after the move… so, lots of work, ideas and energy!
Let’s start with this one… the infamous water cooler.
10 replacements for the Glorious Water Cooler
In a regular office, the water cooler is often considered the center of the office. It's a place where colleagues gather to take a break, have a chat, and informally exchange ideas. The water cooler is more than just a place to grab a drink of water; it's a hub for socialization and collaboration. Whether it's a quick chat about the weekend or a brainstorming session about a project, the water cooler is a place where colleagues can connect and build relationships.
Fun fact: in the Netherlands, where I live and work, most organizations provide coffee and tea in addition to water. In Dutch, the office coffee machine is what the water cooler is for the US. It’s where everyone gathers and socializes. The cafeteria over lunch has a similar function. I’m sure other cultures and countries use other words, but for this article, let’s stick to the concept of the water cooler.
The water cooler's importance in office culture cannot be overstated. It plays a crucial role in maintaining social connections and building a sense of community in the workplace. By providing a space for casual conversations and interactions, the water cooler fosters a sense of belonging and encourages collaboration. It also helps to break down barriers and create a more relaxed atmosphere, which can lead to increased productivity and job satisfaction.
When I was a director in my last organization, I ensured I joined our team for lunch in the cafeteria at least 2-3 days per week. During those lunch conversations, I often got the chance to meet people I didn’t normally speak to as part of my work, because they were in other teams or on different projects. The conversations were sometimes personal, e.g. about our weekend activities, soccer, elections, the Olympics or whatever was happening. At other times, we also spoke about work at times and I learned a lot about projects I wasn’t involved in. Very useful!
The Remote Water Cooler
With the rise of remote work, the water cooler's role in maintaining social connections and building a sense of community has been challenged. In an all-remote company, everyone is physically separated, and the water cooler is no longer a physical location. As a result, remote workers may feel isolated and disconnected from their colleagues.
The absence of the water cooler in an all-remote company can have a significant impact on team dynamics and productivity. Remote workers may miss out on opportunities for casual conversations and interactions, which can lead to a lack of social connections and a feeling of isolation. This can ultimately impact job satisfaction, team morale, and productivity.
To overcome the absence of the water cooler in an all-remote company, companies must find new ways to foster social connections and build a sense of community among remote workers. Let’s look at some different options.
1) Virtual Coffee Breaks
Make it a point to schedule regular virtual coffee breaks with colleagues to catch up and chat about non-work-related topics. Virtual coffee breaks are a great way to break up the workday and connect with colleagues on a more personal level. By scheduling these breaks regularly, you can maintain social connections and build relationships with your colleagues even if you're not in the same physical space.
As a company, make these breaks part of your culture. Figure out a way to schedule these virtual coffee breaks so people sometimes meet someone they already know and are familiar with - but at other times also meet new people.
2) Informal Slack Channels
Create a Slack channel (or a channel in whatever collaboration tool you use) for casual conversations, memes, and general banter. Creating a channel dedicated to casual conversations and memes can help build a sense of community and make remote work feel less isolating.
Also consider creating separate channels for non-work related topics, even if just temporary. Discussing the Olympics, Formula 1 or Soccer? Talking about exercise and fitness? Parenting? Create social channels on whatever topic people in your organization find interesting and want to engage on.
3) Virtual Games
Organize online games or virtual game nights with colleagues to have some fun and friendly competition. Online games can be a great way to unwind and have fun with colleagues, and organizing virtual game nights can help build a sense of community and make remote work feel less isolating. Not everyone in your company may be interested, but for those who are, it’s a great way to socialize and build a sense of belonging and community.
4) Virtual Book Club
Start a remote book club where you can discuss books with colleagues. A remote book club can help foster intellectual conversations and create a sense of community around shared interests. By reading and discussing books together, colleagues can learn from each other and build deeper relationships.
Books could be related to any topic - NYT best sellers, Sci-Fi, management books, poetry - whatever the team is interested in.
5) Virtual Happy Hour
In the office, it’s not uncommon to have a Friday afternoon drink. Even if it’s not organized, at my last company we would regularly decide at 5 pm to go for a couple of drinks before going home.
Schedule regular virtual happy hours or after-work drinks to socialize with colleagues. Virtual happy hours are a great way to unwind after a long day and socialize with colleagues in a more relaxed setting. By scheduling them regularly, you can maintain social connections and build relationships with your colleagues even if you're not in the same physical space.
6) Yoga, Workouts or Competitions
Schedule virtual workouts or yoga with colleagues to stay fit and socialize at the same time. Virtual workouts can help colleagues stay active and healthy, and by doing them together, they can also maintain social connections and build relationships.
At another company I worked for, they organized a regular “stay fit” competition, where small teams over a period of several weeks competed to gain the most miles in biking or running.
7) Virtual Lunches
Schedule virtual lunches with colleagues to eat together and chat. Virtual lunches are a great way to break up the workday and connect with colleagues on a more personal level. By scheduling them regularly, you can maintain social connections and build relationships with your colleagues even if you're not in the same physical space.
Lunches could be team lunches, or they could be scheduled with a mix of people across different teams. A lunch could also include a presentation from someone about something they’re working on - or even on a non-work related topic.
8) Online Classes
Set up an online course or class so colleagues can learn new skills together. Taking an online course or class together can help colleagues learn from each other and build relationships around shared interests and goals.
9) Peer Recognition
Peer recognition is an important part of building a positive and supportive workplace culture. Use a digital platform to facilitate peer recognition and celebrate employee accomplishments. For example, companies can implement a virtual bulletin board where employees can post recognition for their colleagues, or hold virtual award ceremonies to recognize outstanding performance.
10) Virtual Bookmarks
Promote the sharing of interesting articles, podcasts, or videos with colleagues to spark discussions and debates. Sharing interesting content can help colleagues learn from each other and build relationships around shared interests and ideas.
In Summary
The water cooler is a vital component of the office setting, playing a crucial role in maintaining social connections and building a sense of community among colleagues. However, with the rise of remote work, the water cooler's role has been challenged. Companies must find new ways to foster social connections and build a sense of community among remote workers to overcome the absence of the water cooler and ensure team morale and productivity.