Image via WikipediaFor example, I called my mom tonight. We didn't have much to talk about. Fortunately, life is has been pretty stable and slightly on the uptick for the past few months. So, we talked about Dancing. Who we liked. Who we didn't like. And so on. On the surface, it may seem trivial to gossip about the stars. However, by listening to likes and dislikes, we learn a little more about each other.
Furthermore, I don't want to take it for granted that my mom has the cognitive ability to shoot the breeze. My wife's mom does not because she is suffering from Alzheimer's. It is a terrible disease. At first it was the little things like forgetting how to fix coffee or use the remote control and kitchen appliances. Then it progressed to inability to remember current events. At this point simple conversations ceased. It has been a wake up call to not take those water cooler talks for granted.
Now to bring it back around to work for a little takeaway. Show at least a little interest in your staff and co-workers. There is a fine line between being friendly and being friends. I think Zappo's take it too far in wanting co-workers to be friends, support systems, and weekend buddies. But it's a mistake to be all business all the time. There is tremendous value in the water cooler talks.
Water cooler talk help build relationships. It may seems trivial, but those friendly conversations build trust and commadery. That goes a long way to establishing a foundation to getting people to say yes to your ideas and initiatives. 'Friendship is the first and most powerful trigger to yes', according to author of the book 7 Triggers to Yes. It's cliche, but nobody cares how much you know until you show how much you care.
