Did you know that eating with your co-workers can help you work better together? A Cornell University study found that firefighters who dined together received higher performance ratings for their team efforts as opposed to firefighters who often ate solo.
We may not all be firefighters, but it’s hard to deny that eating together helps build stronger relationships in just about any profession. After all, you usually talk about your personal life during meals with friends or family, revealing details about yourself that can help your teammates better understand you. Learning about your teammates can help you develop a closer relationship with them, making you feel more motivated when you work together.
For example, you might (consciously or subconsciously) feel more enthusiastic spending hours helping out that teammate you recently bonded with over your common affinity for cycling -- an affinity you both raved about during lunch together.
Of course, in-person gatherings are generally discouraged during these times, so don’t forget to keep it safe! Keep your common meals small and outdoors. You can even do lunches over Zoom! Scheduling a virtual lunch hour once a week can bring the office together without crowding a table.
1. It’ll encourage employees to take a break.
Whether you’re working at home or in the office, it’s wise to take a break from working. Even if you feel like your workload is unbearably heavy, taking a break can benefit you later in the day. Recharge your brain!
While lunch breaks are required for employees working a certain amount of hours a day, some employees might skip out on it while you’re not looking, especially if they’re working from home. Even if you can’t meet your employees in person, encourage them to take a break and join any virtual lunches you have to connect with the rest of the office.
2. Learn about new traditions and cultures through recipe sharing.
A fun theme for a Zoom gathering could be one where employees share a personally meaningful recipe, such as a soup from their native country or a noodle dish they ate every day while growing up in hard times.
Through food, you can create an opportunity for your team to expand their worldview and get an introduction into another country’s culture. After all, certain dishes are reflective of the culture where they were created, including any contemporary historical events.
3. Boost team camaraderie.
Since you typically aren’t working when you’re eating meals together, this frees up the opportunity to talk about more casual and personal topics, such as what new sport you’d like to try someday. Over lunch, you can meet employees you don’t have as much professional contact with. Who knows, maybe your new best friend could actually be one of the data scientists (that you never have to talk to professionally) rather than a fellow marketer or a salesperson!
4. Learn new healthy habits you wouldn’t otherwise.
Have you wanted to eat more healthy, buying bags of lettuce with a promise to yourself, then seeing it turned into mush weeks later from neglect? Perhaps you’ll discover a more delicious, convenient way to reach your health goals through a meal a coworker brings. Perhaps discovering new delicious ways to eat spinach and arugula will be the much-needed kicker to get you moving towards those health goals again.
What are some of the ways your life has improved by dining together with others, whether it’s your family, friends, or colleagues? Share your experiences and your dos and don’ts!
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About Stingray Advisory Group LLC: Stingray Advisory Group LLC is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is a proud member of Local First and the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. We help small businesses grow by providing guidance in financial planning, website development, marketing, and more.
