During a particularly busy morning, our office kitchen became the site of a catastrophic coffee spill. Jane accidentally knocked over a full mug just as the team gathered for the weekly meeting. The coffee flooded the counter, soaked important papers, and briefly short-circuited the shared printer. The chaos caused a fifteen-minute delay—and a lot of grumbling. After cleaning up, the manager sent out a stern email reminding everyone to use the spill-proof lids provided. That email quickly ignited a chain of replies debating the merits of cups versus travel mugs, reusable versus disposable, and even which brand made the least spill-prone lid.
Eventually, the email chain grew so long, productivity stalled so badly that the final rule became: no kitchen cups allowed during meetings—only spill-proof water bottles… with lids that actually seal.