Brilliance

I can't believe I've never thought of this! As an engineer, and one who doesn't drink coffee or tea, I watch my coworkers get up to refill their cup at least once an hour. I certainly don't begrudge them the small break - I take them, too, but I have definitely noticed that coffee breaks can get pretty extended on occasion.

But the office here has a staff of people who do nothing but wander around the building offering water, coffee, and tea to anyone who needs it. They also clear your dishes and wash them up for you. No piles of rotting coffee cups in the sink, here. Or, at least, I'll never have occasion to see them if there are. Engineers still get the break they need, but it is shorter, and they tend to wind up shooting the shit with their immediate neighbours, often having a productive conversation about work, rather than flirting with someone of the opposite sex halfway across the office who happens to sit on the path to the coffee machine.

I once had a boss who catered dinner for the team every night, knowing that the geekier (read: single) members of the team would go straight back to their desks after eating, often delivering several extra hours of productivity for the cost of a meal. A coffee cart probably isn't quite the productivity enhancement that dinner was, but it is still a nice touch. It also feels much more civilized to have your coffee delivered to your desk.