[rob_c]

Granted bean counters fail as leaders (typically) but I would strongly argue it's the job of leaders to explain up front costs and value to been counters.

E.g. yes not providing free/cheap coffee/drinks in the office saves money, but it has a damaging cost in terms of employee attitudes and getting people to talk openly in a friendly environment about what they're working on and being able to ask for help.

These things can't be directly easily measured but can be quantified in a way that bean counters see the true value of the little extras...

[citrin_ru]

When company stops providing free coffee/snacks many employees will see this as a signal that a company is going down and it is time to look for a new job. Such signals are hard to quantify but they are real.