Let’s meet for coffee

In simple terms, workplace collaboration is when two or more people (or groups) work together to accomplish a common goal, and in the workplace environment, promoting an office coffee culture can be conducive to encouraging a more collaborative atmosphere. The digital revolution and ever-changing world of office design has led to a massive shift in the ways we work, but collaboration is as important as ever, and creating an office coffee culture can boost productivity and collaboration. Have you ever thought about how your office coffee machine can enhance the workplace experience?

The modern workplace is vastly different to how it was just 15 years ago, both in terms of design and working methods and this can have a detrimental impact on collaboration. As a result, businesses and office designers are looking for ways to bring collaboration back to the core of the workplace experience. 

The introduction of technologies that we now rely on daily, such as speedy WiFi, The Cloud, smartphones and Artificial Intelligence (AI), has led to massive change in how we work, allowing us to work more independently. The internet means we now have the ability to work from anywhere, and agile working methods can mean that company employees, can be based vast distances apart. Even in an environment where employees are all in the same office, our new-found reliance on technology can result in them feeling out of the loop as so much of our work can take place online. However, collaboration is still extremely important for many organisations and can be used not only as a way for the business to solve problems and inspire ideas, it can also work to bring teams together, both metaphorically and physically.

For many, coffee and the workplace go hand in hand. The modern worker is a coffee connoisseur, and our high expectations from the coffee we drink isn’t just confined to our social lives, we expect a first-class experience whether we’re in the office, at a coffee shop, or at home. The Leesman Index showed that coffee, tea and refreshment facilities are at the top of the list of important service features (behind only a desk and a chair), with over 77% of respondents rating it as being an important part of their office experience. As well as the associated health benefits with coffee drinking, it can help improve our memory and productivity, and many workers claim to have their most productive ideas whilst enjoying a coffee, all very valid reasons to ensure your coffee offering meets the expectations of your team.

The growing trend of coffee culture in the workplace has also led to a shift in office design. Gone are solitary desks and small cubicles. Activity-based working is increasingly popular, and many firms are now including different “zones” throughout the office that are designed to cater for certain tasks or types of work. This could mean dedicated quiet zones for getting work done, zones specifically for meetings, and more relaxed, informal areas aimed at inspiring creativity and promoting collaboration and interaction. In the world of workplace design, office coffee machines are increasingly seen as a central part of a workspace. Something that many simply cannot live without. So much so that many companies are now using their office coffee machine as a focal point in their breakout zone or kitchen area, using the pull of the coffee machine to create an area where employees will congregate and chat over a coffee. 

Some office coffee machines are being designed with collaboration in mind, for example, the innovative TopBrewer has a unique swan neck tap which is controlled via an app to deliver personalised bean-to-cup beverages in a stylish and interactive way.The minimal design of the TopBrewer also means it can be installed into nearly any environment and acts as a “wow” factor in the space. The under-counter brew unit is also super-silent to complement office acoustics and not override conversations. Coffee culture is something that interior designers and business owners are trying hard to incorporate into their spaces, and luckily it can be achieved regardless of budget.

Another consideration is how many times a day your team members leave the office to purchase a coffee from a local cafe or coffee shop. Not only is this impacting their wallet, it may be impacting their productivity at work as well. Offering a premium in-house coffee solution, such as TopBrewer, will encourage your staff to stay on site, further increasing the chances for collaboration and idea sharing.

Collaboration: A win-win situation

Uniting the experts from different teams to work together towards a common goal can lead to inspiration, fresh ideas, and faster innovation, so promoting and encourage collaboration should be a no-brainer for any company. Though the overarching goal of collaboration is to increase the success of a particular task or project, workplace collaboration can help improve employee wellbeing, happiness and productivity, so is fundamental in building a business. When the working environment is focussed on collaboration, it allows your team to feel like their voice is being heard and like they are part of something bigger than themselves. It’s more than just different teams or departments working on the same project, it involves respect, a shared vision and a shared goal to achieve the best outcome. Workplace collaboration can lead to faster innovation, a more skilled and better equipped workforce and increased employee satisfaction which, in turn, leads to happier customers. It’s a win-win situation.

Proactively encouraging your team members to take breaks and grab a coffee will help build relationships and allows colleagues from all areas of the business to chat as they grab a coffee, or even meet for informal meetings. An office coffee culture will help break down social barriers and will encourage employees from different teams, and even from different management levels, to communicate and share ideas in a much more relaxed way than a traditional meeting setting. The humble coffee break poses a huge opportunity for interaction, communication and collaboration.