Coffee and cigarettes

When I leave the office to get my morning coffee each day I usually walk past the designated smoking section. I personally don't smoke but I understand the social effect that being forced to crowd in a small space does to a group of people that work together. Talk.

Conversation is easy and no topic is out of bounds. Grievances, successes, minor issues with workload, process failures and rumours of impending changes are all discussed and shared with the group. This forum in the clean air outside allows a certain honesty or candor that is often missing when under the bright florescent lighting inside.

It dawned on me that practically every day when I stop to have a chat with whoever is there I learn something new. This simple act of stopping for a few moments has shed light on different aspects of the workplace that until then were as foreign to me as the word "budget". Occasionally I am able to offer my perspective or point someone in a different direction and at rare times give a nugget of perfect clarity that removes a stumbling block they didn't even realise was there. This same effect can be found with any experience outside the 4 walls of the office cubicle. Group lunches, coffee runs and after work drinks are all perfect opportunities to network and learn more about the people and issues that surround us.

As with everything there are always potential issues and dangers to consider. It is important to remember that just because a conversation or action happens outside the workplace does not mean that what ever code of conduct policy your organisation lives by does not apply. Rumours can cause stress, comments can be taken out of context and some available information may have been kept confidential for reasons unknown to the group. My advice is to always to consider not only your immediate audience but all of those that could be affected.

Thought for the day: Coffee is like glue and grease for building relationships. It binds us together with a common love, is a legal social lubricant and there is always an alternative for those who are not caffeine junkies. The coffee break has been saving our sanity since the blessed bean was discovered in the 9th century.