Hey,
I came across something this week that properly stopped me in my tracks.
Someone organised a five-minute cigarette break.
2,500 people showed up.
Not for the cigarette (obviously), but for the pause. For the moment, to step away. For the chance to just be human together.
And I absolutely love it.
Because it proves something we all feel but rarely say out loud. People are craving real connection. Not another meeting, not another "quick sync", not another Teams link.
One person held up a sign saying "fancy a break?"
Twenty-five hundred people said "yes, please".
And for any of us leading teams or shaping workplaces, that is a huge signal.
We don’t need more meetings. We need more moments.
Small, natural, human moments.
The ones that help teams reset, breathe, lighten up and remember they are not productivity machines. They are, and we all are, brilliantly messy humans doing our best.
And what is even better is that these tiny moments genuinely impact performance.
They boost focus.
They deepen trust.
They create the kind of psychological safety that cannot be built through slide decks or spreadsheets.
And you do not need a formal programme or big initiative to make them happen.
Here are a few simple places to start next week:
- Swap one check-in for a five-minute coffee walk
- Create a "walk and talk" pairing across teams
- Open one meeting with a real, human question
- Give people two minutes of transition time between calls
- Run a short debrief after a tough meeting so nobody carries it alone
Tiny things. But they make a disproportionate difference.
If 2,500 strangers can show up for a spontaneous cigarette break, imagine what your team could unlock with a few intentional moments of connection woven into the week.
So here is your little challenge.
Create just one of these moments next week. No pressure. No performance. Just permission to pause.
Have a brilliant week,
Cate x
Hey,
I came across something this week that properly stopped me in my tracks.
Someone organised a five-minute cigarette break.
2,500 people showed up.
Not for the cigarette (obviously), but for the pause. For the moment, to step away. For the chance to just be human together.
And I absolutely love it.
Because it proves something we all feel but rarely say out loud. People are craving real connection. Not another meeting, not another "quick sync", not another Teams link.
One person held up a sign saying "fancy a break?"
Twenty-five hundred people said "yes, please".
And for any of us leading teams or shaping workplaces, that is a huge signal.
We don’t need more meetings. We need more moments.
Small, natural, human moments.
The ones that help teams reset, breathe, lighten up and remember they are not productivity machines. They are, and we all are, brilliantly messy humans doing our best.
And what is even better is that these tiny moments genuinely impact performance.
They boost focus.
They deepen trust.
They create the kind of psychological safety that cannot be built through slide decks or spreadsheets.
And you do not need a formal programme or big initiative to make them happen.
Here are a few simple places to start next week:
- Swap one check-in for a five-minute coffee walk
- Create a "walk and talk" pairing across teams
- Open one meeting with a real, human question
- Give people two minutes of transition time between calls
- Run a short debrief after a tough meeting so nobody carries it alone
Tiny things. But they make a disproportionate difference.
If 2,500 strangers can show up for a spontaneous cigarette break, imagine what your team could unlock with a few intentional moments of connection woven into the week.
So here is your little challenge.
Create just one of these moments next week. No pressure. No performance. Just permission to pause.
Have a brilliant week,
Cate x
