Work Atmosphere in Spain and Mallorca

One of the many favorite pastimes of the residents of Madrid is to go to the local pub or cafe and chat with friends and family. Conversation is an important part of life in Spain, and the same social trends that happen at 2:00 a.m. also happen in the workplace or mealtimes. Coffee breaks and time to chat and socialize is an important part of work life as well as social life—the coffee pot is often a place to not only get coffee, but hold meetings as well.

Although some might view the socializing as a lack of professionalism and poor work behavior, the Spanish see it as a necessity, just like we see our more formal conference room meetings. Of course, people at the coffee pot meetings will talk and laugh about sports, families, and television shows or the latest movies; they also discuss work and exchange ideas there. The more informal atmosphere might actually encourage them to speak more freely, and more innovating thinking may come to the forefront as a result.

Often in our formal business world, the formalities themselves stand between us and speaking out when we have what we think is a good idea. In a less formal situation, people open up and say what they think a little more easily. Informality also creates a better environment for those who don’t open up well in public, the painfully shy. Much has been said over the centuries about people with good ideas who never speak up because they are overwhelmed—a less formal atmosphere could give them a forum where they had none before.

The less formal atmosphere of the Spanish workplace truly promotes better communication between co-workers. The coffee pot provides an environment for co-workers, who may not normally meet in their daily line of work, to get together and creates the opportunity for ideas to spring forth that normally would never see the light of day. Social interaction between co-workers is an important part of business life, and should not be looked upon as unprofessional. The work place, through a more social atmosphere, offers a fun atmosphere for workers to unwind a bit, as well as a place for them to share ideas to increase a company’s productivity and reputation.

Although there are still deadlines for companies to meet, time away from the work itself - even if only for a few minutes – is important to rejuvenate workers. This reflects in a rejuvenated workforce in general, and makes for happy employees and customers as well. If research is involved, it can increase out put as well as help nurture new ideas. For instance, if a company is involved in producing a certain product, perhaps discussing a related movie could lead to ideas by workers to increase productivity, add a new product, reduce stress, or foresee problems down the road. Maybe talking about what happened to a friend at his or her place of work could lead to positive changes in their own companies.

At the very least, the social work breaks can help refresh employees and increase productivity throughout the day. These breaks should be an important event even when deadlines are tight and customers are clamoring at the door for your products. Reducing boredom for employees should be one of the main considerations for a manager, and the coffee breaks are an important part of that.