ADVICE & OPINION
COMMENT
COFFEE POINTS
Whatever the reason for hybrid working
there remains a desire to be in a
physical o ice space. Recent Nestlé
Co ee Partners research revealed that
for 68 per cent of employees, the o ice
is still critical to their productivity –
with 39 per cent saying they feel more
productive in the workplace and 29 per
cent preferring a mix of workplace
and home. But while many believe
o ices are now purely a place for
collaboration and engagement, the
research also revealed that almost a
quarter (23 per cent) of employees say
they are more productive there because
of the peace and quiet and 24 per cent
because of fewer distractions.
Face-to-face collaboration and
communication remain important. Of
the employees who feel more productive
at work, 44 per cent say this is down to
interacting with colleagues, 33 per cent
say it’s the social aspect and collaborating with a
team, and 26 per cent put it down to an inspiring
atmosphere. This has important implications
when it comes to workplace design, giving facilities
managers food for thought when adapting spaces to
meet diverse workforce needs.
SMART COFFEE BREAKS
Nestlé Což ee Partners has been discussing these
findings on employee attitudes towards the
workplace with world-leading experts in ‘Smart
Což ee Break – The Productivity Podcast’, gathering
perspectives and advice from productivity expert,
Despina Katsikakis, Neuroscientist and Flow-
Specialist, Dr Fiona Kerr, alongside other eminent
figures in the field. Adding insight from their
expertise, they’ve developed a series of pointers on
creating workplaces that both inspire and refresh.
Some of these pointers are about the placement of
interactive points in the ož ice or the provision of
workplace beverages.
As Despina Katsikakis states: “Organisations need
to adapt to how people will work diž erently, to align
the space to those new behaviours, and to focus on
creating dynamic ways to reinforce those elements of
serendipity, of occasion, of memorable and delightful
experiences.”
To address this, we recommend designing ož ice
space around behavioural outcomes. Falling within
12 FEBRUARY 2022
four categories: individual flow and focus, optimised
teamwork, team-to-team and in-team collaboration,
and unplanned interaction; each requires diž erent
environmental considerations to ensure success and
productivity. And with seven out of 10 employees
saying they have better work ideas and are more
productive a¢ er a což ee, it also helps to identify the
optimum placement for beverage points in each of
these environments.
PROMOTING INTERACTIONS
Carefully placed hot beverages play a valuable role
as a powerful attractor, creating moments of planned
and unplanned interactions in the workplace.
In fact, encouraging movement through the ož ice
doesn’t just give employees a chance to refresh and
regroup; it boosts productivity. And according to Dr
Fiona Kerr, this also enhances flow: “When you look
out the window or go for a walk it’s a key part of flow
– it allows your brain to relax, so it can pick out bits
you want to focus on and put it all together.”
Employees with clear goals that require individual
flow and focus need distraction-free working spaces
with minimal noise. For these, hot beverage solutions
should stage ‘strategic interventions’, rather than
‘unplanned interruptions’, so they can optimise
outputs and avoid setbacks in flow-state productivity.
To achieve this, hot beverage points should be
strategically placed at the end of each row of desks
- out of reach from other teams to prevent noisy
gatherings. This close proximity to desks prevents
the need for those in focus to leave their area and risk
interrupting their state of flow.
Optimised teamwork and cohesion require faceto
face team contact away from outside distractions.
In this context, hot beverages play a key role,
encouraging impactful and ež icient group meetings
and discussions across the team.
Productive behaviour and better time management
can be facilitated through providing a hot beverage
point in the
meeting room. A centralised
hot beverage point in a communal
space outside but in close proximity
to the meeting room will also ensure
more ež icient breaks and encourage the
continuation of conversations beyond the meeting
room. Prevent input from external sources by
locating the point in a space where only the chosen
group or team can use it and connect.
Where team-to-team and in-team collaboration are
required, goals are less defined, leading input from
outside influences to support cross pollination of
ideas.
Hot beverages are ideal for staging productive
interactions between teams who don’t normally
communicate with one another or have limited time
for breaks. A centralised hot beverage point at the
centre of spaces where teams/departments cross
or meet facilitates collaboration. Be mindful that
employees should be able to choose when to break
away. This is where a kitchen space provides the
perfect opportunity for individual space, rest and
recuperation when needed.
Unplanned connections build trust, spark new
ideas and promote diž erent ways of thinking. Here is
where the workplace café plays a critical role, ož ering
employees a relaxed environment for socialising,
collaboration, and refreshment. In this context,
colleagues may find themselves interacting in a way
that’s less formal, and through allowing them to chat
naturally, it is likely to breed unplanned interactions,
leading to those all-important ‘light bulb’ moments.
View the insights here - https://bit.ly/3qmM7za
David Basson, Head of Beverages at Nestlé Professional shares the
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