Sometimes you have to think outside the box if you are trying to develop a happy and productive team of employees. Whenever office furniture is mentioned most people’s minds go to desks and chairs but there is more to an office than you might think. Most office staff become quite territorial about the furniture they use at work. All too often workers develop a ‘who’s been sitting in my chair’ attitude. Not so at the water cooler.

If you want an office where people get on and visitors feel welcome, then put a water cooler in on a trial basis and you will soon see a difference. Many office workers treat the cooler as a place where they can lounge for a few minutes and chat with others who are waiting to fill their cups.

When visitors arrive at your office they take away a much better impression of you and your staff when they are offered some cool, refreshing water when they arrive. Most people actually prefer to be offered water than tea or coffee. A water cooler may not be on your shopping list when you are refurnishing your office, but it can make a difference to both staff morale and visitor perceptions.