An Indian company is on the rise, and everything seemed to be going well, almost everything. As the company grew, so did the number of employees, departments, and processes. In the early days, communication was easy, everyone knew everyone else, and work felt like a community. But as more employees joined, something changed. The cozy camaraderie began to fade, replaced by silos and growing disconnection between teams.
This shift, though subtle at first, began to manifest in several ways:
- Decreased Productivity
- Communication Breakdown
- Lack of Innovation
- Employee Disengagement
- Slower Decision-Making
- Turf Wars
- Customer Dissatisfaction
Silos hindered the flow of information. Teams completely unaware of what others were working on sometimes duplicated efforts many a times missed crucial deadlines and struggled to coordinate projects effectively.
Information once freely shared has now become bottlenecked within departments. Important updates often failed to reach the intended recipients, resulting in errors, delays, and frustration. Unnecessary rumors and gossip began to fill this gap in communication.
Exchange of ideas, a main reason for the company’s early success, began to dwindle. Teams became isolated, limiting their exposure to diverse perspectives and hindering the generation of innovative and creative solutions.
As the sense of community eroded, so did employee morale and ownership. Individuals felt less connected to the company’s mission and less valued as individuals. This led to increased absenteeism, higher turnover rates, and a decline in employee engagement.
Getting approvals and coordinating actions across departments became a bureaucratic nightmare caught in endless red tape. This is hindering the company’s ability to respond quickly to opportunities and threats and pivot.
Teams became more focused on protecting their own turf than on collaborating for the greater good of the company. This internal competition created unnecessary friction, discomfort, and further affected overall performance.
Ultimately, these internal issues began to impact the company’s external stakeholders. Delayed projects, miscommunication, and declining innovation led to customer dissatisfaction. The company’s once-stellar reputation began to tarnish, threatening its future growth and profitability.
Spark real engagement. Learn how with Profit.co!
The CEO, seeing the growing disconnect, thought he could solve the problem.his solution?
A coffee spot! After all, coffee breaks were always a great way to get people talking, right? So, he set up a common casual space with a coffee machine, interesting coffee mugs, some comfortable chairs with some plants and ambient lighting. His idea was simple. He hoped to bring people together, get them chatting over a cup of coffee, and bring back that sense of community that he enjoyed and missed so much.
At first, it seemed like a great idea. People did the expected. They gathered, made their coffee, and took their breaks. The CEO felt he had hit the jackpot with this simple solution, but before he could celebrate he quickly noticed something strange. While people had one hand wrapped around their coffee mugs, their other hand was glued to their phones. Instead of engaging in meaningful conversations, employees were silently scrolling through emails or social media. The coffee spot gathered people but it did not bring them together in the way he had hoped. They were still caught up in their own digital world.
The CEO scratched his head. How could he create a space where people would actually talk to each other instead of retreating into their little digital worlds?
That’s when he had an epiphany, something so simple yet so brilliant: the Dabara Set.
Creativity is seeing what others see and thinking what no one else ever thought.
The Dabara Set: More Than Just Coffee
Now, you might be thinking, “What’s so special about a Dabara Set?” For some of you, the question may be,” What the hell is a Dabara Set?”
For many of us familiar with it, it’s just a traditional coffee-drinking vessel. However, to this CEO, it was the perfect solution to the problem of employee engagement.
Let me explain.
In South India, the Dabara Set is a cultural symbol that extends beyond merely a method for drinking coffee. It’s a reminder of the authentic experience of enjoying Filter Kaapi, a South Indian coffee that’s rich, flavorful, and served with a sense of tradition. Originally made of brass it is now available in stainless steel as well.
Dabara sets are still used in most households in South India. They are a cultural symbol of enjoying traditional Filter Kaapi dating back to the mid-19th century. Just as a wine glass enhances the flavor and aroma of a fine wine, South Indians believe that filter Coffee in a traditional Dabara improves the coffee experience.
The Dabara Set comprises two pieces: a small cup (Tumbler ) and a wide plate (called the Dabara).
So what changed?
The key difference lies in how the Dabara Set is used to enjoy piping hot coffee properly. When served in the tumbler portion of the set, the coffee is too hot to drink immediately. To cool it to the ideal drinking temperature, you must skillfully pour it back and forth between the tumbler and the deep saucer-like plate using both hands. This aeration process cools the coffee and enhances its texture and flavor. This is the traditional way South Indian filter coffee is enjoyed.
Why did this simple tradition change everything?
This ritual of pouring and mixing isn’t just about cooling the coffee; in our story, it’s about engagement. Using a Dabara Set properly requires both hands: one to hold the tumbler, the other to steady the wide saucer. You’re fully present in the moment with no free hand to check your phone, reply to emails, or scroll mindlessly. And in that presence, something else happens, conversation.
How the Coffee Spot Suddenly Becomes a Hub of Engagement
As employees put their phones down and started talking, the barriers that had crept into the workplace—silos, miscommunication, disengagement, and slow decision-making—began to break down. Teams started exchanging ideas more freely, collaboration improved, and the sense of community that had once defined the company started to return.
This CEO had hit the jackpot with a deceptively simple solution. The manager had stumbled upon something simple yet powerful. The humble Dabara Set, a traditional South Indian coffee vessel, had solved a big problem in the workplace.
Final Thoughts
In the end, the CEO learned that the most effective solutions are sometimes the simplest ones. The Dabara Set, which had been around for centuries in South India, offered a new way for a modern company to reconnect its people. Sometimes, the solution to modern challenges lies in honoring and adapting traditions from the past.
So, if you’re looking for a way to boost employee engagement and build stronger connections in your team, maybe it’s time to consider a little tradition with a modern twist.
Who knows?
The simple solution might just be just the key to your team’s next breakthrough moment.