One of the greatest joys that I’ve learned over the last several years is the power of getting coffee with a friend or colleague.
You don’t have to drink coffee, by the way, but it is the taking time to get to know someone and simply talk. I find this hard sometimes depending on the culture that you are in. Some offices frown on getting coffee because it is seen as wasting time. Other offices see the value in building networks and collaboration across the office. I was in one office that even practiced “Virtual coffee” during the COVID quarantines because it was so important to the culture.
The skill is simple. Set a time. Be intentional. Be safe. And simply enjoy the conversation. It’s that easy.
Getting over the hang-ups of “I’m wasting time” or “I’m shy” or “I’m too busy” is a key step to learning how to get coffee with others. But, this is the same step that is key to having many different social interactions. It is not a waste of time, but vital to the team and vital to growing personally.
So, take the time to get coffee with others.
Photo by Barun Ghosh on Unsplash