Brown bag lunches can build skills and teams
By Bruce A. Love
As a child, I always took a brownbag lunch to school. My favorite was an egg salad sandwich, Tastykakes (I lived in the Philly suburbs after all), and a piece of fruit. I liked to brown bag my lunches because I could breeze past the lunch line, get my choice of cafeteria tables, and sit down to lively discussions with the guys. Occasionally a girl would sit at our table, but I think that stopped after one boisterous conversation that ended with me scooping up the whip cream from the girl’s Jell-O salad and flinging it in her face. I don’t remember what she said to provoke the incident, but fourth graders don’t need much provocation to resort to throwing food.
I still brownbag my lunch most days, although lunches today usually consist of a yogurt, a 100 calorie snack and a piece of fruit. I often eat while working at my desk, but occasionally I get together with friends at the office to discuss current events and other topics of interest. Sometimes we turn our lunches into real events and organize “Brownbag Lunch Workshops” or seminars and invite others to join. Brown bag lunch get-togethers are fun, educational, and can strengthen team relationships in the office.
Brownbag seminars normally run an hour or so. Originally they were scheduled around lunchtime and participants were encouraged to bring their own lunch in a bag.
As a host, lunchtime presentations give me an opportunity to sharpen my teaching and training skills. I get to talk about topics that I think would benefit others, or that I think others would like to hear, see, or learn about. As an attendee of brownbag lunch presentations, I always enjoy having an opportunity to learn something new – including topics that will help me become better at what I do in the workplace.
Some lunchtime topics are intended to improve various skills, while others are just for fun. Vacation slideshows are a favorite topic for some to talk about. On one occasion, an intern showed slides of his trip to Europe that included an audience with the Pope – talk about connections! Last week I gave a lunchtime presentation on genealogy and finding one’s roots. I think the discussion helped to motivate others to dig deeper into their ancestry. Even these non-work related topics have a purpose in the workplace: they help to strengthen team relationships, which can improve the communication process in the organization.
Many brownbag lunch presentations are technical and instructive. I have offered presentations focusing on MS-PowerPoint and other topics specific to the mission of my organization. Most of us have some area of expertise that we can share with others to help everyone work more safely or perform more effectively in the workplace. Brainstorm with your boss and colleagues to figure out what topics would be of interest. Organizations appreciate initiatives that strengthen the team spirit – especially efforts that also improve workplace performance. Bosses frequently allow employees to stretch their lunch break to accommodate brownbag lunch discussions – especially if the boss is invited! Just be careful not to start any food fights!
