For many of us one of the joys of coming to work is the interaction with our colleagues.
Some workers spend time glued to a screen and wearing a set of headphones so they can more easily talk to customers. It’s a necessity for call and contact centre staff who must focus intently on consumers.
Now, however, enlightened employers are recognising cherished employees also need to talk to each other.
So they’ve introduced a daily ‘huddle’ at the start of every shift, when teams can get together, be briefed on the latest company news and – most importantly – chat about what’s going on in their own lives.
“In our office we eat birthday cake, look at wedding pictures, admire new haircuts and generally have a good old gossip for five minutes,” says Brian Johnson, who has a decade of experience in the travel industry – taking bookings from callers and advising them on value deals and holiday destinations.
“We also have a quick quiz, with topics about resorts and attractions. It’s a fun way of getting staff engaged before they start the day and you wouldn’t believe how competitively they bid for that silly little trophy which is proudly displayed on the winner’s desk.”
Brian believes since the huddle was introduced 18 months ago staff are happier and have become more collaborative.
“People don’t feel so acutely they are working in isolation or driven by targets. Instead they’re operating as a really strong team and that shows up in the results.”
Evolutionary psychologists go so far as to say gossip is what makes society possible. It allows us to learn from other people’s mistakes and keeps us all networked.
Did any of us know when we gathered around the canteen kettle to get the latest headlines, we were contributing to the human good?
Or that a break from calls to admire a colleague’s gel manicure would boost the company’s profits?
You didn’t? Take five and we’ll tell you all about it.
