Yesterday afternoon it came to light that I hadn't offered to make a round of tea for a few days and this caused uproar in my tea round group.
Suddenly, accusing faces were shouting from across my department: "Coops, it really is your turn to make tea," as I struggled to turn focus away from my computer screen, and was waiting for someone to send copy through on e-mail.
You see, there are nine people in our tea group - that's a lot of mugs to wash out and it takes around:
* One minute to locate the group tray and collect all the mugs from everyone
* Another minute to walk to the kettle
* Approximately three minutes to boil the kettle while at the same time rinsing out the mugs
* Another two minutes stirring the tea bags, adding milk and disposing of the tea bags etc
* A minute to walk back from the kettle, delicately carrying and balancing the tray and handing out the teas.
After raising an objection and pointing out that I had always been a chief tea maker, which everyone reluctantly agreed to, I was then jokingly accused of spending too much time making tea. I can't win either way.
Then we all started discussing who made tea the least and made our way up through the ranks, realising that in the past month I've lost my chief tea maker status and someone else has stepped up to the role. We then identified a culprit who occasionally made a tea round but sometimes sneaked off on her own and got in a cheeky quick cuppa for herself, and luckily the attention was turned to her.
Following this group discussion, a fellow tea group participant now has a tea tally chart on his wall with all our names marked up on the chart. He set this up yesterday afternoon to record how often we all volunteer to make tea.
So far three people have made tea today, and we're going to monitor whether the tea tally chart will be a fair test of who should make the next round of tea.
It got me thinking though. Being a tea group participant really makes you interact with your team throughout the day, it's a stress reliever, it breaks up the monotony of your work routine, creates light banter and makes much more for a happier, lively and engaging environment. So who's up for tea? Gotta dash... the kettle is calling.
However, the Ririan Project suggests that a short 20-minute power nap would be beneficial to everyone and, shock, horror, would "eliminate the need for caffeine boosts during the workday" in the article 10 benefits of power napping, and how to do it that:
These short 20-minute power naps for people who are really engrossed in their work, almost always provide a fresh burst of new ideas and energy.These short 20-minute power naps for people who are really engrossed in their work, almost always provide a fresh burst of new ideas and energy. They tend to . And, they guarantee a reserve of energy so that the working day isn’t followed by an evening in which he falls asleep on the couch watching TV or at a social event.
BLOGATHON CHALLENGE QUESTIONS
Office environment/habits
1. Does your office decor i.e. the office goldfish bowl sitting in the middle of reception, plants, 'inspirational/motivational posters' and furniture make a difference to your happiness at work?
2. What would be your ideal office environment if you could invent one?
3. Our office is like a giant corridor with two people with their backs to one wall and two people with their backs to another wall facing each other but too far away to talk to each other, it's like a stand off just glaring at each other. I think this creates a bad atmosphere and the office needs to be feng shuied. Also I discovered recently when I popped out into the stairwell to make a call on my mobile that the window sills have DANGER ASBESTOS stickers all over them, considering I feel like death after a day at work, headache and exhausted is this really safe?
4. Should employees be allowed to bring their pets into the office. Why/why not?
5. Would it be a better working environment if you had a five minute break per hour to talk about what you like called: "Talk your head off time" - where your manager tells everyone to stop what they are doing and just have a chat with colleagues? (A method that is currently being used in some schools for children which then keeps them motivated to continue to learn throughout the day).
6. How many cups of tea/coffee do you drink in a day?
7. Are you part of a tea round group - if not, why not?
8. What is your favourite canteen meal?
Write your comment and if you wish, please state your profession and nationality, then press publish.
Comments (9)
Posted by Rob Moss | August 2, 2007 4:41 PM
I'm aghast that you only ever "rinse out" my mug. The three-minute kettle boil is adequate time to wash and dry six mugs.
Next you'll be telling me you don't warm my mug before the brew.
Posted on August 2, 2007 16:41
Posted by Steve Miller | August 2, 2007 5:29 PM
I find it all a bit too much. Make your own is my motto and if there is time then ask your fellow work colleagues if they fancy a brew.
The thought of making 9 cups of tea doesn't thrill me too much. I'd rather go down the pub after work and get a round in.
Posted on August 2, 2007 17:29
Posted by Natalie Cooper | August 3, 2007 10:10 AM
I totally disagree with you Steve. If you're part of a tea group then you should offer to make a round everytime.
But remember there is a certain tea etiquette too which is key here. When we genuinely know a tea group member is busy, there is no expectation for that member to make tea rounds for that day and we'll always be supportive as we'll all return the favour to one another at some point.
Not everyone opts in to the tea group and that's cool too as that's fair; they don't accept any offers of tea and we don't offer to make tea for anyone that doesn't want to be a part of the tea group.
The whole team benefits throughout the day as tea is a daily topic of conversation that can sometimes lead into a whole other group discussion including non-tea and tea members about who's turn it is to get in the cakes or chocolate..
Posted on August 3, 2007 10:10
Posted by Gareth | August 3, 2007 3:06 PM
As far as I am concerned, drinking tea is very much a social occasion, normally made in a pot and to be had with scones and cakes...note the Queen as an example.
Making tea for your colleagues is therefore good social behaviour and as close as we might get to ‘socialising’ whilst in work mode. It’s also just plain good manners…again, note the Queen as an example.
Personally, I find that making a cuppa for the team is a good way to take a break from staring at your computer, and boiling the kettle for a single mug of tea shows poor form on efforts to keep it green and is also rather sad.
Moreover, a moderate intake of caffeine will improve your work as it increases levels of concentration and alertness. Maybe I should put this to my higher powers the next time my cup needs a refill, then again maybe not.
And while I would not appoint Steve captain of the tea making team with his everyman for himself attitude, I would like to know what time he wants us down at the pub? A pint of lager for me thanks, Steve.
Posted on August 3, 2007 15:06
Posted by Vince Russell | August 3, 2007 3:35 PM
I used to be a "tea banker", that is, someone you could rely on to get his quota of teas in for the others in the tea round, but now I've gone the other way and am one of those annoying people would only make the effort about once a week.
In my defence, we had a tea round competition to see how much tea we could drink in a single day, both me and a colleague managed 12 cups (setting a new world record - for our office that is). I felt so odd that evening and the next day, that I've gone from being a 6 cups a day chap to a mere one cup sometimes.
The tea round has never been the same for me since.
Posted on August 3, 2007 15:35
Posted by Steve Miller | August 6, 2007 4:55 PM
Good grief 6 cups of tea a day. How much lost productivity time is that? On average I would say it takes 10 minutes to make a brew. That is about an hour a day lost by making and drinking the tea. That's not taking account of the nattering thats done when drinking the tea. No wonder the UK lags behind many other leading economies. Scrooge you may say. Am I bothered?
Posted on August 6, 2007 16:55
Posted by Anonymous | September 24, 2007 11:37 AM
Hmmmm, I am amazed that Vince didn't conk out after 12 cups of tea- was that just during the working day?!!!! I am a 3-4 cups a day girl and I am usually the maker! I must admit that we tend to use tea making time as a chat break to get away from computers, so I usually have a tea making "assistant"- but it doesn't usually take more than 5 minutes to make tea and by the time I'm back at my desk, I'm straight back to work so I don't feel like I'm wasting too much time!!! To make it faster, I made everyone in my tea round a mug for christmas which stated their milk/sugar preferences which was a silly work gift and made it quicker in the kitchen!! We did realise at one point that the men made less tea- but we made a tea tally (I know it's sad!) and soon weeded out the bad people and pointed out that they are just as capable! It's kind of an ongoing (but amazingly still quite amusing- even to the men!) workplace joke!
Posted on September 24, 2007 11:37
Posted by Pip | September 24, 2007 11:40 AM
Hmmmm, I am amazed that Vince didn't conk out after 12 cups of tea- was that just during the working day?!!!! I am a 3-4 cups a day girl and I am usually the maker! I must admit that we tend to use tea making time as a chat break to get away from computers, so I usually have a tea making "assistant"- but it doesn't usually take more than 5 minutes to make tea and by the time I'm back at my desk, I'm straight back to work so I don't feel like I'm wasting too much time!!! To make it faster, I made everyone in my tea round a mug for christmas which stated their milk/sugar preferences which was a silly work gift and made it quicker in the kitchen!! We did realise at one point that the men made less tea- but we made a tea tally (I know it's sad!) and soon weeded out the bad people and pointed out that they are just as capable! It's kind of an ongoing (but amazingly still quite amusing- even to the men!) workplace joke!
Posted on September 24, 2007 11:40
Posted by HRWench | September 24, 2007 11:50 PM
1. No...unless the office is a mess with old, dirty and broken items in it.
2. I hear Google's main campus in Mountain View, CA is pretty nice.
3. Asbestos is probably in the building materials and is not necessarily harmful unless you start demolishing the building. That's a guess...not positive. Sounds like your office has impeded Chi though.
4. No way. I do not want to deal with the liability of someone's toy dog being stepped on by another person's Great Dane. I don't want the smell or the allergy complaints. By the way I have 3 cats in an 880 sq ft home. :)
5. No - I do that about every 30 minutes anyways.
6. 1 1/2 cups of coffee with cream.
7. No. We don't do this in America (well, at least not in the part I'm in....).
8. I'm assuming this means hot food from a cafeteria (disgusting food served on trays)? We don't have one...and I don't go to them. I usually get a sandwhich at a local deli or go to Taco Bell.
I am so blatantly American on this post. Yeeesh.
Posted on September 24, 2007 23:50