The best part about having to go outside for a smoke is you end up standing next to people outside of your normal work hierarchy. You get to have 1v1 conversations with OTHER managers, and people higher than you – whoever at a very casual level. The benefits of this are enormous. I certainly talked more to our director of IT by smoking than I ever did with my own boss.
HN comment. It’s true. The day I stopped having smoke breaks with other folks at companies, is the day my opportunity rate tanked badly.
I chose health over socialization but didn’t know that it would mess with work like that.