In Sweden we have a tradition called ‘fika’. Anyone who’s worked with me for a longer period of time knows I’m a big advocate of this tradition in the workplace, and it’s not (just) because I love coffee and something sweet to go with it..
Fika is a big thing in Sweden
The treat side of it is of course not a bad thing but the primary reason why I’m a big advocate of the ‘fika’ tradition is because it takes you away from your desk for a few minutes, brings you together with your colleagues and works as an informal way of catching up. Both about matters concerning work and about life outside of the office. And as a Swede I’m very used to fika. It’s a big thing in Sweden. In fact…
Fika is a social institution in Sweden; it means having a break, most often a coffeebreak, with one’s colleagues, friends, date, or family. […] Swedes consider having a coffee an important part of the culture. You can fika at work by taking a “coffee break,” fika with someone like a “coffee date,” or just drink a cup of coffee. […] This practice of taking a break, typically with a cinnamon roll or some biscuits or cookies, or sometimes a smörgås or a fruit on the side, is central to Swedish life, and is regularly enjoyed even by the government.
Quote from Wikipedia
Many workplaces in Sweden, like the government, have formalised fika and set aside time for it. E.g. 15 minutes in the morning, afternoon, morning and afternoon, or on a particular day where people gather in the fika room, around desks or go down to the cafeteria. When I tell people in the UK about this I’m not seldom met with scepticism and assumptions of that formalised means forced. However, formalised doesn’t mean that someone will come around ensuring that you move away from your desk, attend the fika, drink tea/coffee and have a piece of cake/biscuit (what a nightmare that would be!). This, I assure you, is not the case. Formalised simply means that it is encouraged and organised as part of the working week. It’s there should you want to attend.
The benefit of formalised fika in the workplace
So why am I such a big advocate of formalised fika in the workplace? If a company has a culture of formalised fika that company has recognised that breaks are good. Making it part of the working week and generally accepted openly communicates that the management team wants to encourage you to get away from your desk and get together with your colleagues. What’s more, it signals trust, commitment and is an acknowledgment from the employer that they value and believe in their employees. That 15 mins away from the desks doesn’t mean loosing money but is an investment that makes for happier employees and a more productive working environment. And here’s why.
The true value behind fika
The truth is fika in the workplace isn’t actually about eating cake and drinking coffee. It’s about getting together and informally having a chat. It’s about building team spirit and creating something that employees are looking forward to. To provide a treat in the everyday life of the workplace that not only motivates and provides employees with a break but also serves as a great and informal way to talk things over. A forum where you can catch up on how your colleagues are doing and what they are up to. Perhaps talk a problem over. Though the employee happiness in itself should be enough, these chats over a cup of coffee often lead to conversations which in turn lead to outcomes and solutions that would have taken two hand fulls of emails and one hand full of meetings to accomplish. All of this is what fika is about and why I’m such a great advocate of it.
How to do fika
There are many ways that a company can do fika in the workplace. Though a formalised fika has a greater potential of bringing a larger group of people together and thereby facilitate conversations amongst employees who normally don’t see each other that often, an informal fika culture led by the employees, however small that group may be, is also very valuable.
The key lies in the open culture of breaks and getting people away from their desks and that the management team and fellow colleagues don’t look down on the people who gather for a cup of tea or coffee every now and again.
Work is not just what we do behind our desks and productivity and problem solving often comes from outer stimulus amidst conversations about something completely different. Like talking something over during a fika break.
