5 Unique Ideas for Lunch 'n' Learns - Organizational Psychology Degrees

Company Lunch ‘n’ Learn Ideas

Busting Stress
Creative Workspace
Lunch With TED
Self Defense
Cross Training

Emerging in business culture today, the Lunch ‘n’ Learn is today’s answer to building corporate community. That’s a fancy way to say it’s an attempt to foster a culture of continuing personal development and understanding as well as encouraging team-building. The concept is easy. The person responsible for the weekly or monthly activity orders food and selects a venue. It could be a nearby city park or an empty conference room. The person then arranges for a topic and a speaker. The subjects need not be job-related. They could even involve games or music. The idea is to learn something new while being together as an organization. Here are five great ideas for Lunch ‘n’ Learns.

1. Busting Stress

Stress is a factor in employee dissatisfaction and can surface as:

alcohol addiction
cardiovascular problems
other ailments

It contributes to:

lost workdays
workplace violence
injuries

A great learning experience could incorporate physical and mental exercises, relaxation techniques and organizational skills to reduce workplace stress. Some of the exercises could be demonstrated by having appropriate equipment such as stretch bands or balance balls on hand. The speaker might be adept at stress management, or it could be a life coach or trainer. The menu, of course, will be healthy and low-calorie food that will increase endorphins.

2. Creative Workplaces

Many corporations encourage bare-minimum, distraction-free workplaces. There is evidence that personalizing workspaces may actually lead to more productivity. An article in The Business World Daily says that less-structured workspaces and rooms designated for relaxation might increase creativity. Also, adding things like natural light can boost individual productivity. This lunch activity could involve asking employees for their ideas about personal spaces as well as having a speaker. The person building the eat-and-learn experience might bring in an interior designer or someone experienced in decorating spaces and perhaps even arrange a creative time when employees could decorate a personalized mug for their desk.

3. With TED

TED Talks are increasingly popular. These short, creative lectures on anything and everything are challenging and fun. The person arranging the company lunch training activity could identify a talk centered on an issue that would be appropriate for employees. They are available on the TED Talks website. The only thing needed, beyond the food, is a television to view the videos. Afterward, allowing enough time for discussion would help employees to retain the information.

4. Self Defense

Many employees worry about getting to their vehicles after late-night shifts. Violence is increasing and so is the idea of self-protection, whether it involves carrying weapons or just learning self-defense. The presenter in this lunchtime activity could teach employees:

how to be vigilant
ways to escape a stalker
what can be used as a weapon
how to immobilize an attacker and more

Employees could be encouraged to bring exercise clothes so that they could try some of the techniques before going back to work.

5. Cross-Training

For this lunchtime training, the organizer might select a few employees from different departments in the corporation. They could discuss their current responsibilities and the projects they’re involved in. In a variation, the presenter might be an employee with an interesting hobby or with a passion for a charity. Allowing the employee to present about something that interests him can help workers understand one another better and boost the capacity for teamwork. The meal might come from an employee’s favorite restaurant or be chosen from a caterer’s menu to reflect the taste of the presenter or another employee.

These are just some of the things that are possible for training and solidifying employees and building company culture. A creative coordinator might come up with a nearly infinite list of great ideas for a company Lunch ‘n’ Learn.

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