It’s no secret that I love a good coffee, and sometimes a not so good coffee is fine too. Over the years I’ve found that some of the most beneficial conversations occur over coffee.
A particular aspect of the coffee break that is almost always overlooked is the benefits it provides in terms of knowledge transfer. Getting people together and chatting often has that effect. Thats’s why it amazes me when people complain of the cost of employee coffee breaks.
Developing a culture of knowledge sharing isn’t easy. One of the easiest ways to kill that culture is to systematically remove the areas where people congregate and discuss. Areas like water coolers, coffee rooms and so forth. It’s a much better alterative to foster those areas, keeping them “safe” for employees to enjoy the social aspect of work.
Not all conversation in those areas is work related, of course. However, it becomes painfully apparant if an employee isn’t working and meeting their goals. Thats the time to manage performance. Don’t punish the crowd for problems which haven’t yet arisen.
What could be better than to have a coffee and get refreshed. Nice post. I liked a lot. Keep up the good work. All the best.