
They might start to feel resentful if they feel obliged to attend, or if the events take place too often.Ĭonversely, "extra-milers" or those who are prone to "hurry sickness" may feel that they're missing out if they don't attend. Some of us like to socialize during lunch, but others need this time to relax and recharge. The Drawbacks of Lunch and Learnsĭespite these advantages, lunch and learns do have some limitations.įirst, be wary of taking up too much of your people's personal time. It can be far less intimidating to stand up in front of your co-workers over lunch than to take centre stage for an audience of potential clients, for example.Īnd finally, providing attendees with complimentary food is a way for your organization to show that it appreciates its people, and their hard work. (See our article on Cross-Training for more on this.)Ī lunch and learn session can also be a "safe" environment for people to develop their confidence in presenting and public speaking. It can make them more flexible, more responsive to changing business conditions, and better able to step in when others are absent.
SAFE ENVIRONMENTJ SONONYM PROFESSIONAL
Learning more about other people's tasks and responsibilities is good for your team members' professional development.

This can encourage teamwork and cooperation, and help to break down silos. This makes them a great way to foster a culture of learning and knowledge sharing in your organization. Lunch and learns offer a sociable, collaborative alternative to traditional "top-down" or classroom-based learning. But if an event has been set up at short notice, or if the participants prefer, people can bring along their own food instead.īecause they are optional, lunch and learn events are not suitable for mandatory legal training, for teaching essential core skills, or for sharing important information company-wide. They can also offer a great platform to promote life skills like physical fitness or well-being, to publicize volunteering opportunities or your organization's charity work, or to engage with outside experts, for example.Īs an incentive to attend, the food is normally paid for by the employer. Or it could be a course that takes place over several weeks, such as your development team teaching the basics of coding.īut lunch and learns don't have to focus on your core business activities. It could be a one-off session, where your new business manager outlines your company's sales strategy, for example. Each session typically lasts for between 30 and 45 minutes.īecause they take place during lunch, they are generally voluntary and have a less formal atmosphere than a structured training session or seminar.Ī lunch and learn event is an opportunity for co-workers from different teams to meet and share their skills and expertise. Lunch and learns are also known as "learn at lunch" or "brown bag" events ("brown bag" refers to the way that people traditionally packed their lunch for work). But it's not suitable for every training situation, so we also point out the pitfalls to avoid, and give you eight tips for running successful lunch and learns that benefit everyone.



In this article, we explore how this approach can increase engagement and motivate your people to learn. These informal training or development sessions take place while you eat, and in return for your time and participation, your boss picks up the check.
SAFE ENVIRONMENTJ SONONYM FREE
There's no such thing as a free lunch, but for employees in many organizations, "lunch and learn" events come close! Good organization is key to a productive "lunch and learn" session.
