How to Make Water Cooler Talk in your Office More Beneficial

Water coolers in offices have a vital role not only in providing filtered water solutions but also fostering team bonding and relationship building. When employees get up from their seats and walk toward the water dispenser, they find colleagues standing and filling water bottles. This is the time of interaction when employees talk about their day and other things. ‘Water Cooler Talk’ is beneficial for enhancing productivity and boosting employee morale. With the right attitude, you can encourage water cooler talk and provides your employees with this flexibility.

To have a water cooler talk, you must have a water dispenser in the office. The term 'water cooler talk' refers to people's regular conversations in the office whenever they go towards the water cooler area. They might converse about upcoming movies, series, clothes, shopping, sports, books, cars, the latest news, and more. 

Employees should take frequent breaks to stay active and hydrated throughout the day. During the water cooler talk, they get to know about colleagues in the office apart from their team members.

Sometimes managers find water cooler talk a non-productive and total waste of time. 

Managers should read about the countless benefits of water cooler talk and understand their importance in the workplace. They want their employees to work continuously, without any hindrance. But how can it be possible? Employees are humans, not robots. 

The team requires break time, in which employees can refresh and recharge their dying batteries.

We have compiled crucial benefits of water cooler conversations. 

Let’s have a look. 

The workplace where employees are constantly monitored and don’t have the freedom to talk freely is the place that is likely to face many resignations and a drop in employees’ performance. They have to explain every minute of downtime. 

This kind of environment can make people less interested in their work. They lose morale and become more anxious. Employees want to work in a fun, creative, engaging environment and value empathy. When employees’ motivation level is on top, they work more than their capabilities and achieve targets on time. You don’t have to remind them continuously about the work goals. 

Encourage more water cooler talk in your workplace.

If you encourage a positive and interactive work culture, employees will be less likely to leave your company. They don’t apply for jobs elsewhere due to the bad corporate environment. Recruiting new employees requires money, time, and effort. You have to lose your incredible employees that have attained good corporate knowledge. If you allow them to build good working relationships and team bonds, they love to work in your company for an extended period. Most employees leave their jobs due to a bad manager or boss. So you can improve this by showing that the management values team interaction and bonding and allow them to have social conversation.

Water cooler talks allow employees to converse between members of the same team and people from another department. This encourages inclusivity and provides opportunities for employees to develop good working relations. You will get to know your co-workers' interests and likes/dislikes, which will help you understand them better and their personality. You may find common interests that can make your conversations more enjoyable.

Your casual conversations will definitely revolve around work-related issues. Your co-worker might ask you about the progress of any particular project. You can discuss the roadblocks or problems you are facing. Fortunately, your colleague can suggest the possible solutions you can implement.

Install good quality office water coolers at your workplace to encourage water cooler talk.

Report this Page