During a draining workday, a bit of watercooler talk can be the perfect pick-me-up. Little breaks for chatting about work or play count for a lot. But where there’s neither a literal nor figurative watercooler to chatter around, teams miss out!
For a long time, this was the case in our offices in East Darfur. There were no meeting or break rooms—really no designated places at all to meet up and chat. That’s why Irshad, a State Program Manager, suggested we create one!
“See those trees?” Irshad said, pointing a shady grove next to the office. “If we could get some small chairs and a table, we could make a nice gathering space to meet with clients and coworkers.”
It was the perfect spot. The staff could all get together in the great outdoors, and the shade helps beat the heat!
Who could say no to such a doable idea? Just like that, we ordered chairs and a table. This quickly became the spot to be, and people gathered to sit, talk, and enjoy each other’s company.
“You see, this is why these chairs are needed,” Irshad told me, smiling as we sat together for our final meeting. He was right!
