At your next staff meeting take out that special cup and toast to the coffee bean

What’s in a cup of coffee?  I mean, really in a cup of coffee?  Aside from the caffeine, sugar, creamer and all the other stuff, including the mounds of delicious whipped cream we put into those Tall, Grande, and Super Sized cups these days, what is in your cup of coffee?  

I don’t mean the calorie count and the high fat content either…we know all that stuff already!  Here is what I am really talking about!

A warm cup of freshly brewed java holds many stories and calms the nerves. Yes, you heard it. It tells stories of love, sorrow, romance, and success.  It “resets” your internal clock and helps you feel “happy” again! It plans for the future and helps you figure out what went wrong with the past. It brings workers together for early morning meetings and helps to join families late at night around the kitchen table.

It’s free in most hospitals for anxious families waiting to hear “the news” and its been known as the “international beverage” across board room tables in million dollar deals. Yes, that little cup of espresso that starts with a bean that is actually a seed can do all that, according to the National Coffee Association. 

There was a study done in Denmark with a group of workers that were undergoing a large-scale merger. It was found that their stress was relieved by forming “communities of coping” during coffee breaks with the co-workers. These communities allowed for social interactions with fellow employees, allowing them to share both professional opinions and personal frustrations with their work.

The lack of organizational structure also allowed and encouraged a more creative atmosphere, which in turn, brought out more authentic dialogue, this according to CoffeeAndHealth.org. A coffee break provides a crucial coping mechanism for dealing with stresses of the workplace.  It can function as a brief “escape” or a communal activity.

Just like some co-workers may opt for a cigarette break or meet after work at a local pub, meeting for coffee can function in the same way.  I can recall in my corporate banking days, when my coffee served as my breakfast, lunch, and dinner and carried me through my long and stressful days.

Often times, it served as my personal reward for a good audit result and was sometimes part of my preparation for a long staff meeting ahead. It never failed me and whether hot or cold it always somehow reminded me of home. It brought me comfort and even warmed my hands. Coffee is fun and evokes feelings of hope, promise, and a better tomorrow.

So bring it into your workplace with a playful heart and share these three tips with others. Create some structure and function and see how it works for you!

1. Keep it Fresh

There is nothing worse then an old cup of coffee! That moment you add powered creamer to your coffee and it cakes on to the inside of your cup; you know your day is heading south! Assign an “Office or Home Barista” This assignment comes with the duties of cleanup, creativity, and thinking “outside the cup”. Don’t be shy and give them full reign.

Next- [Video] #2 Express and #3 Make it Special