Water cooler moment meaning12/28/2023 ![]() Read more: How managers can make sure remote workers are promoted fairly “It’s a more informal way to communicate, thus allowing the people there to find common ground and gain a deeper insight into you as an individual and your potential to add value,” she adds. Watercooler moments are a great way of achieving this, Bullimore explains. “Advancing within an organisation, impressing a manager or receiving a promotion or a job offer, all require the decision-maker to know, like and trust you.” “Career progression works to the same principles as business, in that to sell a service or product, the consumer needs to ‘know, like and trust’ you,” she adds. “Whether it is collectively, individually, at a water cooler, or online, communication between people creates connection, and connection is what builds likeability and trust. “Social interaction and communication are the foundations for building relationships,” says Judy Bullimore, an employment specialist and career coach. But with instant messaging, Slack and email popular among in-house workers too, are so-called ‘watercooler moments’ still so important? It’s easy to see why remote workers may miss out on these opportunities. You might end up chatting to your colleagues or boss more often – putting yourself in line for new projects and even promotions. Primarily, it gives you more opportunity to connect with others and show off your abilities, which can lead to some career advancing moments. ![]() “That positive feeling of talking to someone and connecting can last a while,” she says.Although many people enjoy the freedom of home-working, being in the office can come with perks. Plus, Zoom can be exhausting, so asking a person to hang out on Zoom after work can be a bit of an imposition.īut Tannen suggests that these casual interactions are a very human way for people to connect, no matter whether they happen online or in the real world. Tannen at Georgetown University points out that technology can’t fully replicate the freedom of watercooler conversations: body language is more difficult to decipher in video chats, and non-native English speakers or those who have cognitive disabilities might find it more difficult to understand sarcasm or jokes in a virtual environment. “You’re not inviting a stranger into your home, and there are some constraints on public behavior,” she says. That structure might ruin the spontaneity of a random conversation among strangers, but she views it as an important protection against online harassment. ![]() ![]() It also gave her some sense of control over when she was available to talk and to whom. The Google form allowed McCulloch to set an agenda that eliminated the small talk. “In order to actually network in this environment, you have to physically break into a circle!” “I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, this is a disaster,’” she recalls. Katz says Assemble Network creates an environment very different from what she observed at networking events before starting her service: clumps of people hanging around awkwardly in a loud, uncomfortable environment, stacks of business cards in hand. It’s not as random as a networking event, but Jill Katz, the founder of Assemble Network, says the fact that participants are all invested in forming connections (she charges $225 a month for four 90-minute sessions) makes it more likely they will do so. Solomon decided to try Assemble Network, which organizes small groups of up to 14 participants to meet on Zoom once a week for a month. “Nothing compares to meeting someone in person.” “Messaging can only take a relationship so far,” she says. Once the pandemic made that approach difficult, she turned to LinkedIn but wasn’t satisfied. “I love going to events and meeting people in person,” says Sarah Solomon, who runs a public relations agency on the US West Coast and used to meet people over coffee or find potential clients at events. And for some who rely heavily on networking and watercooler chat to fuel their days, the last few months have been excruciating. But replicating chance encounters at the office is more difficult over video chat, where meetings are planned ahead and attendance is restricted.
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