Office water coolers in Colorado businesses can be a great equalizer. The water cooler section of the break room often becomes a mini-sanctuary where employees feel safe and relaxed enough to open up to their coworkers. Of course, this can be a blessing or a curse depending on who you’re chatting up. Socializing at office water coolers can either help you bond with your colleagues or make you hate them and vice versa.
The key to the fruitful Colorado office water cooler conversation is to stick to topics that won’t upset any of your co-workers and affect any working relationships.
With that goal in mind, here are five of the most annoying water cooler topics to avoid, and two safe topics we recommend for healthy break room banter.
Office Water Cooler Topics to Avoid
Clearly Colorado provides business water delivery service to hundreds of Colorado Springs and Denver businesses. We surveyed our customers and came up with this list of the top five most annoying topics to avoid at the drinking water cooler.
1. Politics, Especially in Colorado
Let’s get this one out of the way immediately. Chatting about politics is a pretty safe way to learn way more about your coworkers than you ever imagined.
Since politics can be such a divisive subject—many Colorado resident identifies with one of two camps—there’s almost no way to avoid heated disagreements.
It’s difficult to discuss the finer points of our political system or healthcare in the few minutes you spend on break. If you’re seeking reasonable political discourse, office water coolers are not the place.
2. Relationship Problems
A family relationship might be the most important thing happening in a person’s life, but placing the burden of relationship problems on a coworker on a break at the office water cooler is simply awkward.
Not everybody is comfortable talking about personal matters or giving advice. Besides, if all you do is complain about your significant other, everyone just might be thinking, why don’t you do something about it?
3. Non-Stop Child Updates
Speaking about one’s children is a common topic among co-workers, especially if the other person is also a parent or planning to be one. But trust us when we say nobody wants to be bombarded with every detail of a wee one’s upbringing.
Most people refilling their drinking water containers don’t mind a quick update on the kiddos. But daily updates about everything from school plays to math test results gets annoying over time.
Put those glowing stories of your kid’s achievements on social media where everybody has a choice to respond. But spare your poor office colleagues the updates at the water cooler.
4. Divorce Proceedings
Divorce is taking it up a notch in the category of topic number two above – blithering on about relationship problems.
Divorces can be hard for all parties involved, and everybody should have an emotional outlet. But huddled around your business bottled water coolers isn’t the place to deep dive into divorce drama.
Unless you work at a family law firm, the ups and downs of your Colorado divorce case is a topic for best friends and close family. Talking about your divorce legal battle and drama may drive co-workers away. If your goal is to garner sympathy and support, we recommend sticking with your close friends.
5. Small Medical Dramas
Now, of course, if a co-worker suffers from a serious affliction, everybody will want to know about it and offer his or her sympathies. Some people, on the other hand, can overshare when it comes to minor ailments at the water cooler.
Nobody taking a break while filling their drinking water bottle wants to listen to a detailed description of your oddly placed rash or the type of ointment you use for treatment. If your medical condition is something that makes you gag to think about, perhaps keep it to yourself.
Water Cooler Topics We Recommend
Some conversations can help you learn more about your co-workers while not ruffling any feathers. Here is a shortlist of water cooler topics we approve.
1. Weekend Activity Update
Weekend activities are one of the best conversation starters in a Colorado office: What did you do this weekend? If somebody did something they enjoy, it’s a chance for them to express themselves while you learn more about your co-worker.
A person always becomes more enjoyable when you learn about their passions, and this topic of conversation might give you a peek into what makes them tick.
2. Pets
In Colorado, we love our pets. Who among us hasn’t had a yellow lab named Aspen or Rocky or Bear?
Fun reading: Denver’s most popular dog names
Most of your Colorado Springs and Denver area residents enjoy looking at pictures of cute pets at any time.
If you had a fun moment with your furry friend, feel free to ask another person if they want to see the evidence. But be cautious about sharing too much about your pet. You don’t want to turn into the person who overshares everything little event (see Non-Stop Child Updates above).
Need an office water cooler for your Colorado Front Range business?
Do you need water coolers for your office? Or are considering changing your water delivery company? Call us for a free quote over the phone. Or contact us via email to schedule a free water cooler delivery consultation with a salesperson that can come to your business so you can see our catalogs and get a reliable quote for bottled water delivery.
Call us at 719-633-6887 today!
Read more about water coolers for the office:
Water Coolers – Filtered Water From Sleek Designs
Bottled Water – Why Delivery Beats Single Use
Never Drink Tap Water Again – The Benefits of Bottled Water
