1/21/2024 0 Comments Water cooler moment meaningIn 2018, it launched Amber as a test to help measure employee engagement and sentiment. Though adapting to a remote-first model may be a difficult transition for leaders and teams, overcoming these common challenges now will help you build culture, promote productivity and foster a sense of connection across your teams for years to come.įorbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives.Genpact’s people team sees a huge upside for generative A.I. In addition to empowering your teams to "run" into each other and catch up naturally, you could also create more exciting and engaging experiences for group bonding. Create virtual environments where team members can gather solo or with each other, like a park or even a beach. Implementing a virtual world within your organization could help your teams break free from an at-home environment. Simply seeing or hearing different things can be enough to inspire a fresh perspective. American Institute for Behavioral Research psychologist Robert Epstein told Fast Company that even making "very small changes" to work surroundings "can make a huge difference" when it comes to sparking creativity. I have some of my most creative moments when I run into people between meetings or when I work from different digital spaces. And while video calls may not allow you to create the engaging experiences or thought-provoking run-ins you're missing with watercooler conversations, virtual worlds do. Planned meetings and brainstorming sessions are valuable for generating ideas, but they don't always catch us at the right moment or can feel too structured for free-flowing ideas. Model what's possible by having spontaneous dialogue across teams and asking others to do the same. To facilitate conversation across teams, encourage employees to join cross-functional digital events like impromptu whiteboard sessions, game nights or happy hours. To break free from team silos and encourage cross-functional collaboration in a remote environment, we need to be more intentional about giving employees from different groups the opportunity to come together. Or when someone from finance gets caught up in a product development discussion, they have a better understanding of the importance of certain investments. For example, when an engineer overhears a marketing conversation in the office, they can contribute and take that idea to the next level. In addition to strengthening connection and community, liminal spaces and watercooler talk have the ability to bring people from different backgrounds and teams together. To encourage genuine connection and build a strong community, consider creating company channels like a WhatsApp group, Slack channel or an online message board where people can post about nonwork topics and share commentary when they're feeling inspired to. More neutral online spaces, where no one has strong ownership or plays a role in facilitating conversation, are ideal for reducing isolation and enabling genuine dialogue. While designing space for people to come together in a physical workspace is relatively straightforward, we're facing new challenges while working to achieve this in a remote-first world. On the other hand, without these so-called watercooler moments, team members are left with only structured time and work talk. They also provide people with an opportunity to bring their authentic selves to work and build community, which strengthens relationships overall and can foster a commitment to a company. Whether it's catching up on the latest episode of a popular show or talking about weekend plans, casual conversations enable team members to get to know one another and bond over common interests. Missing Human Connection And A Sense Of Community In a virtual world, for example, employees can communicate through a customized avatar that allows them to express their personality and be social with others without the pressure to be camera-ready. To increase energy and productivity across teams, encourage employees to take breaks and turn off their cameras when they're feeling fatigued.
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