Virtual Water CoolerHuman Resource Management
Prepared By Manu Melwin Joy
Assistant ProfessorSCMS School of Technology and Management
Kerala, India.Phone – 9744551114
Mail – [email protected]
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Virtual Water Cooler• The water cooler is an
essential part of any company’s culture and crucial to your employees feeling like a team, even if they aren’t working on the same project together.
• Brainstorming sessions are important and the informal sessions around the water cooler are just as valuable.
Virtual Water Cooler
• Create a virtual space for
them to check in when
they can (especially if
they’re in different time
zones) and contribute to
the conversation.
Virtual Water Cooler
• Of course, instant
messaging and emails are
incredibly helpful with
this — but a dedicated
virtual space, a virtual
water cooler, is key for
your company’s culture.
Virtual Water Cooler
• This is where an internal social
network, a place where your
employees can communicate
with each other and use their
goals as a guide for discussion,
comes in. As a successful
manager, it’s your job to make
sure that your employees are
team players.
Benefits of Virtual Water Cooler
• Provide a platform for
people to share work-
related knowledge.
– For example, you can allow
employees to connect to
others within the organization
who have tacit knowledge of
a specific product or process.
Benefits of Virtual Water Cooler• Provide a platform for people to
share work-related knowledge.
– And while your staff members will
often be looking for knowledge
and know-how, they’re also often
looking for know-who. Think how
much time can be saved when
employees can easily find out who
knows something on a topic that’s
of interest?
Benefits of Virtual Water Cooler• Cultivate a sense of
organizational belonging for
employees.
– This is particularly beneficial if you
have a large and/or geographically
dispersed workforce. When
employees share their stories or
interact in a way that reinforces
company values, you are
constantly showcasing both your
culture and your brand.
Benefits of Virtual Water Cooler• Recognize the personalities and
accomplishments of your employees.
– When employees can personalize their
profiles and share not just work-related
information (job title, department) but
also talk about their hobbies, interests
and community affiliations, you’ll allow
them to build personal—and human—
connections. This can minimize the
distance often felt by remote workers
and even assist in breaking down
departmental silos and barriers.
Benefits of Virtual Water Cooler• Reinforces ties and a sense of
belonging
– A virtual water cooler fosters an
opportunity for workers to feel
stronger ties to not only each other,
but to the company, too. It creates
a safe zone in which workers can
casually drop in and out and feel
that they are not just isolated
telecommuters, but an important
part of something much greater.
Benefits of Virtual Water Cooler• Inspire new ideas.
– They are often also the
birthplace of fresh, new ideas.
Giving workers the space to
creatively connect (without the
pressure of obligatory
meetings) can help inspire
impromptu brainstorming
sessions that yield new policies
and procedures that can benefit
the company.
Virtual Water Cooler• Virtual offices and teams
are becoming more and more common. As you and your company move forward embracing the virtual model, you can still help maintain an old-school feel for your employees.
• Whether it’s physical or virtual, don’t neglect the water cooler.
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