Some people are extroverts and naturally take the lead in water cooler activities, but others need encouragement to participate. Here are three tips to help you prop them up. Lead by example Remote workers look up to leaders and managers, and their buy-in on virtual water coolers will likely lead to broader adoption. Leaders embody company culture and spark participation from the larger team by participating in virtual water coolers. Virtual water cooler sessions involve chatting about topics other than work, so leaders taking part in these chats send the message that they care about their employees personally, too. Ask for constant feedback To ensure your employees enjoy virtual water cooler chats, update the activity idea bank regularly and ask your workers for feedback. You can collect feedback through pulse surveys or 1:1 meetings between employees and their managers. Ask employees how water cooler activities affect their workweek and if there are any conversation topics or games they particularly like or dislike. Also, encourage employees to come up with their own ideas of how the team could organize the water cooler and suggest fun activities. You can set up a document, Notion page, or Drive folder where teams can drop their suggestions. Don’t force anyone to participate Never force your teammates to join water cooler sessions, but let them know they’re always welcome. Forced participation will turn relaxed moments of interaction into another task on the team’s to-do list, so the atmosphere in the meeting may not be as enjoyable as it should be. Some people are introverted. They might not be confident enough to share their thoughts, ideas, and worries with people they don’t know well. Or maybe they don’t have time or interest in water cooler chats. Not participating in water cooler activities should not influence their value and involvement with the team.