What is Dewdropz? How does it work?

Dewdropz is a simple way to connect colleagues from within Microsoft Teams. On a regular basis(but on a Monday), Dewdropz will select people from your Intro channel, and will send a DM encouraging them to meet up for lunch, snack, or a virtual coffee over video chat!

Why should I do this?

The working world may have been draped in things our grandparents would have never had a chance to experience at their day jobs but behind the bean bags, hippie furniture and endless supply of kombucha is a growing tax on mental fatigue. The working world is constantly adapting and we are struggling to keep up with it's pace. Trying to do just that is hard enough that it makes it almost impossible to make time for anything else that really helps build strong teams.

Dewdropz helps you build real relationships in the team in a way that feels way more natural. Also, it’s important to give yourself and your mind a break throughout your workday so that you can jump back in refreshed.

How do I get started? Do I need to create an account?

The good news is you don't need to create an account or install anything. Your organisation would have done all the setup for you, all you have to do is join the team(if you haven't been added to it already). That's it! No bad news! (just shows how conditioned we are to expecting bad things after good things).

Do I have to meet with other people?

As much as we are rooting for you, we know it may not be for everyone. I would suggest trying one or two meetings before dismissing it though.

We don't want you to do anything you are not comfortable with. At every pairing, you get the choice to say yes or no to the meeting. If at any time you feel like taking a break from these meetings, just leave the Dewdropz team. You can jump back in when you are ready. As a human, you’re a creature of habit. You may not like to change your coffee order and try that new concoction by your barista - but what do you have to lose?

What do I talk about?

That's completely up to the two of you. WE recommend avoiding too much time on the "introducing" as it can become quite tiring have to introduce yourself in each session(on the upside, you would perfect your pitch for nay upcoming conferences where you have to introduce yourself). Instead, we suggest talking about some of the interesting things you are up to or always wanted to try. We tend to say stay away from work topics but sometimes you cant help this creeping in. However, it's not a place to leverage the opportunity for something other than getting to know someone. eg. if you meet with HR, please don't talk about your last performance rating. It's not the place for that and places them in an awkward position. We know you would never do that but we had to say it (for the other people). Let's make it as fun as possible. After all, you are widening your network and perhaps even finding a WBF(work best friend).

I don't want to participate?

We were rooting for you but perhaps it's just not your cup of tea...or coffee. If you feel like taking a break then just leave the group and you wont be paired in the next round. Take a breather and then when you are ready, just jump back into the team to get paired again. No judgement.

How is my privacy protected?

It's common to worry about privacy whenever someone mentions conversations these days. It's important to remember that we do not facilitate the actual conversation between who you are paired with so there is no way in which for us to access that. We also leave the choice of when and how to meet up to you. With regards to the interactions between the bot and you as well as our commitment to GDPR guidelines, you can read more about it in our data privacy page.

This is more for Extroverts than me

You would be surprised to find out that Dewdropz is quite popular with many people that consider themselves anything but an extrovert. It turns out they enjoy Dewdropz because it takes the hassle out of getting to the point of conversation. This gentle nudge allows people to get to know each other without having to reach out to anyone.

So is this another tool for me to use?

We get it, yet another app to use can really start to grate your cheese, but we have integrated into Microsoft Teams so that you don't have to leave the existing tools you use everyday and most importantly, you don't need an account to use it. All you have to do is join the team where Dewdropz is installed. We're trying to break down barriers, not add more to your life.

Do we really have to have coffee?

Only if you want to keep those energy levels up! Seriously though, you can grab tea, juice, volcanic-ash infused water. Whatever beverage you like is cool. The beverage is just a mechanism to help the conversation feel less forced and also keeps it short enough that it's not awkward waiting for someone to finish their lunch.

So basically it's yet another meeting to attend?

The goal is to take an intentional break in your day to encourage you to relax your body, reset your mind, and socialize with others. That delicious cup of coffee is a sweet bonus. We know meetings can be draining at times and since the pandemic started it seems like there has been an endless supply of meeting invites. This, however, is slightly different in that it's what you do in the meeting and the lack of any expectation to have to "deliver", "prepare" or "account for" that makes it feel like a breath of fresh air.

Do I have to meet someone every week?

Meetings do add up, calendars get filled, and deadlines don't always move when they should know better. We like to think that everyone should be able to make at least 15 minutes to build/invest in their relationships at work and that it should be during work time, but if the repeat sessions are feeling overwhelming then reach out to your SuperUser and request that they change the frequency from every week to every 2nd week.

I am paired with someone I was paired with before

No no, it's not a glitch in the matrix. In many ways, repeat interactions are by design. As much as we want to encourage new interactions, relationships are built over repeated interactions. It gives you a chance to get to know each other better and get past the introductions. You should however not be paired with the same person consecutively

The person I've been paired with did not respond or attend

It can be really frustrating if you have been paired with someone that does not respond to your requests or does not attend the meeting that you've setup. And though you may be a bit disappointed if you couldn't have your coffee session, it's best to give the person the benefit of the doubt. There may have been a reason as to why they just couldn't attend or respond. reach out to them again and see if they respond. If you notice this is repeated incident despite trying, you can let the Superuser know.

Make sure to respond to the follow up to say that they didn't attend.

Pro tip: set up a calendar invite for the time you agree on or that you suggest. it's easier for people to block out the time resulting in less cancelations.

How do I setup my meeting?

When you receive your pairing message, reach out to the person directly from the pairing message. Suggest a time to meet and then follow it up with a calendar invite. Where and how you choose to meet(be it online or IRL) is up to the two of you to decide on.

Will my boss let me have time for this?

Your team has installed Dewdropz to help build better team relationships. No one is expecting you to take the whole day off to have coffee so give yourself a break and allow yourself to relax a little. If you need to, help your team realise that something simple like this can have benefits that outweigh the time investment:

For the follow up, what am I supposed to say?

Only what you feel comfortable sharing. It's important for the organisation to understand if people are enjoying connecting with one another or if there is a systemic issue to address. Your feedback is not shared with the other participant.

I have an idea or request

That's fantastic. We look forward to hearing from our users. Please send us your ideas to hello@dewdropz.com.