What happened to chatting?

[Amy]

‘Some might categorize watercooler interactions as wasted time. Others would argue they actually fuel the business with innovation.’

One of the biggest things we’ve noticed missing from the new workday is day to day chat. You might message your co-workers about specific projects or ask a few questions but it seems like people are forgetting to just catch-up, like you would at the office. 

Whether you’re holding back because you feel like you’re bothering coworkers when you drop them a non-work message, or can’t think of a conversation starter that doesn’t sound needy, there is just something to be said for putting the time in and getting on a call together to shoot the breeze. You never know what might come up organically, you could find out you’ve been solving the same problem as a co-worker, entirely by accident when chatting, or even spark a great new idea. Andrew Richdale took a look at the importance of a no-reason meeting, from a few different perspectives and we definitely agree, it’s well worth building in time for chatting. You can check out his Work in Progress piece here.

Are you finding that you are talking with your coworkers less? We want to know how you’re staying in touch, especially outside of official meetings.