Hey, it's Rachel Cook, your modern mentor.

You know what I've been thinking about lately?

The water cooler, or that spot in the office where we used to gather and chat.

A lot of people have been missing that in this hybrid world.

And while I haven't seen a water cooler in a bit,

I have had the opportunity to facilitate some virtual listening

sessions that I've sure felt like water cooler moments. And I'm hearing some insights from

employees across industries that I think could be useful for all of us to hear. So today,

I'm going to share some of my favorites with you and hope you find something useful in them.

In the past couple of years,

we've learned a lot about working remotely or in a hybrid fashion. We've figured out how to sustain productivity, how to run meetings, have brainstorming sessions, and so much more. But for many of us,

something still feels like it's missing. And it's that chatter that happens by the water cooler.

And I don't just mean the casual, hey, how was your weekend catch-up?

But also that informal conversation that reminded us that we're not alone in the experiences that we're having as we navigate this still uncertain and unprecedented moment.

Part of my work is to help companies capture and understand the voices of their employees, to learn what their experiences are,

where there are opportunities for change, and what solutions or interventions may be the most

impactful. And I do this by conducting listening sessions, essentially focus groups designed to

unlock employee sentiment, which I then synthesize and feedback to leadership teams. And what I've

noticed in recent months is that employees are beginning to use these sessions to almost replicate

those missing water cooler conversations. Participants are not just offering feedback to their leaders during

these sessions, but they're also validating each other's experiences while sharing actionable

strategies that anyone can pick up and use. In case you're missing your own water cooler moments,

...