Imagine you are an entrepreneur, executive, or part of a team that has been working remotely since the start of the pandemic. In this new work environment, you and your colleagues are seeking ways to maintain informal exchanges and a sense of community despite the physical distance. This article explores how virtual coffee breaks and casual coworking can help achieve that.
The Challenge
Our company had already successfully transitioned to remote work before the pandemic, and we were fortunate to not have to learn it the hard way.
However, over the past few years, we have also faced many challenges such as the lack of informal exchange moments that used to occur around the coffee machine or during lunch breaks. This has led to employees feeling more isolated and less connected to one another."
One, Two or Many Ideas
We have devoted considerable thought to addressing and improving this challenge. We have explored many potential approaches and discarded them. One current idea involves creating a virtual space where the team can meet spontaneously and informally, much like a real coffee break.
How can this be implemented technically and organizationally? We have experimented with various methods.
To address the challenge of fostering casual exchanges between remote team members, we took a hopefully simple approach by creating a virtual "water cooler" or "coffee break room." This room is technically implemented as a zoom room. The ambience is designed to be appealing and inviting. It also integrates seamlessly with our favorite communication tools such as instant messaging platforms.
We encourage all team members to seek out this space when they are taking a break, chatting with colleagues, or just looking for a moment to relax. We see this virtual space as a means to recreate the spontaneous interactions that used to take place in the office, fostering a sense of community and connection among team members.
So far, we are enthusiastic about the potential of virtual coffee chats and plan to explore additional possibilities in the future.
And Now for Something Completely Different
In addition to the virtual coffee machine, we are testing another concept.
We also regularly schedule informal virtual events and team-building activities, such as virtual happy hours and game nights. These events are designed to be fun and help team members get to know each other better in a relaxed and informal setting.
By combining the virtual water cooler with these regular virtual events, we seek to cultivate a sense of social cohesion and support to help mitigate the challenges of telecommuting and foster a positive work culture.
Casual coworking
We work together casually by inviting two or three team members to at least one-hour sessions. After a brief greeting, the cameras are turned off. The microphone and speakers, however, remain on. Everyone starts working.
If someone needs to discuss something, they can turn on their camera as needed.
At the end of the session, there is a virtual goodbye, and we exchange information about work and personal matters.
Unlike pair programming or collaboration, the focus here is not on working together on a project. People can even work on different tasks.
The structure:
- Casual coworking with scheduled one-hour sessions
- Focus on individual work with the option for brief interactions
- Virtual goodbye and exchange of information at the end of each session
Our previous experiences indicate that virtual coffee breaks and casual coworking can be effective. However, it's crucial to ensure that the framework is appropriate and to continue refining the formats.
In an era where distance and remote work define the daily routines of many people, it is more important than ever to find ways to maintain a sense of community and informal exchange. Virtual coffee breaks and casual coworking are two examples of how this can be achieved.
Hey there! Have you had any experiences like this or maybe some cool, innovative ideas of your own? We'd love to hear about them in the comments below. Your positive feedback means a lot to us, so let's chat
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