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Not eating lunch with your team every day? You're missing out.

forbes.com

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Re: Not eating lunch with your team every day? You're missing out.

#51

Post by ap3 »

MattRogish wrote: post #29

At my current company we all eat lunch together (some bring their lunch, others eat out). It's not really a policy per-se but everyone seems to do it. The only policy we have is of no eating lunch at desks so this gets us all in the same room. We also have a "Results Only Work Environment" ( http://www.gorowe.com ) so you're free to do whatever you want, whenever you want, so if you want to get dry cleaning, walk the…

This rowe sounds interesting - how long have you been using it ? What changes did you noticed when you started it?

Re: Not eating lunch with your team every day? You're missing out.

#52

Post by exDM69 »

j_baker wrote: post #13
exDM69 wrote: post #10

My team cooks our own lunch in our office kitchen almost every day. We take turns in the kitchen duty. Today was my turn, whipped up some salad with halloumi and a little bratwurst in the grill. I very much enjoy our lunch hours, gives a chance to not talk about work with your teammates. Looking forward for tomorrow, there's this season's new potatoes (a local seasonal delicacy!) with some salmon on the menu and I do…

Does your team list cooking skills as a requirement to be hired? It would seem difficult to ensure that there's a good lunch to be had everyday otherwise.

> Does your team list cooking skills as a requirement to be hired?

No, we don't require cooking skills, but we do require things that are a lot harder in comparison so should be able to learn to cook in no time. And it's not a requirement to take part in the cooking either. You're free to go an grab lunch from a restaurant if you wish.

Re: Not eating lunch with your team every day? You're missing out.

#54

Post by segmond »

theorique wrote: post #44
INTPenis wrote: post #9

I'm an IT consultant making Swedish style consultant money and I eat out of a plastic box at the office alone while most of my co-workers are usually eating out. I just think it's a waste of money to be honest. Maybe I'm being too pragmatic because this is far from the first time I hear that it strengthens morale and team spirit to eat together but I'm not paying 90SEK for a buffet when I get full from drinking a gla…

making Swedish style consultant money Is this humble or bragging? I honestly don't know how well (or poorly) Swedish consultants are paid?

I'm curious too. I believe it means a lot of money. Sweden is good.

Re: Not eating lunch with your team every day? You're missing out.

#55

Post by batista »

look_lookatme wrote: post #46
kaonashi wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ugh, seriously. Some of us just want to do our work and go home, not stick around for a company mandated 'happy hour'.

Great, go work at IBM.

Far better and far more important STILL than 90% of startups that don't go anywhere anyway. And from a huge part of the 10% that do have any success, come to think of it.

Far more important contributors to CS and technology have worked in IBM and similar companies than in startups. Including the guys that built UNIX (AT & T) and the pals at Xerox Parc. Not to mention people wanting the even more lax and easy going environment of academia, from Knuth to Djikstra.

Decades of important research in any CS related area, and tens of thousands of original results (patented even) are far superior to messing with RoR and NoSQL trying to build a Heroku for rollerskaters or Facebook for Slugs, pulling all-nighters and screwing your work-life balance over.

Not to mention that a reasonable work-life balance is far more progress for the whole of society than any start up product. In their deathbed no one regrets not going more to the company lunch.

Re: Not eating lunch with your team every day? You're missing out.

#56

Post by MattRogish »

ap3 wrote: post #51
MattRogish wrote: post #29

At my current company we all eat lunch together (some bring their lunch, others eat out). It's not really a policy per-se but everyone seems to do it. The only policy we have is of no eating lunch at desks so this gets us all in the same room. We also have a "Results Only Work Environment" ( http://www.gorowe.com ) so you're free to do whatever you want, whenever you want, so if you want to get dry cleaning, walk the…

This rowe sounds interesting - how long have you been using it ? What changes did you noticed when you started it?

We've been using it since we started earlier this year.

Changes that I like (from traditional companies):

* We're all treated like respectful adults. We're all trusted to manage our personal schedules to meet the expectations we set on an ongoing basis.

* No start and end time. Thus, I'm never "late" for anything. If I feel sleepy and need some extra rest, no big deal. If the subway is acting up, I don't have to panic and notify everyone I'll be "a few minutes late" (obviously if I have some obligations I've set with someone else, like a conf call at 10a or something, I'll have to make alternate arrangements).

* Every* meeting is optional (1:1s are not optional). No need to be dragged into things I don't want to do.

I can go to a doctors appointment, dentist, etc. without needing to take "sick time" or ask anyone. I try and schedule it outside of my "normal" working hours, as I like a core block of time to code, but if not, no big deal.

* I can run errands (pick up dry cleaning, meet HVAC repairman, etc.) any time of day without asking permission. OR anyone caring.

* No excuses for why stuff didn't get done. If we agree to get X done in an iteration, it's my job to make sure it gets done. If I decide to go to the beach all week and don't take "vacation" then I'm responsible for the work getting done.

* "Marginal" or folks not cutting it won't work out. If you can't meet expectations, you aren't doing your job, and appropriate penalties will apply. There's no place to hide.

Changes I'm still getting used to:

* Folks can work anywhere, whenever. So often I'm the only one in the office (I like to work at my desk - at home I have too many distractions).

* Pairing takes more effort. I have to make sure to schedule pairing sessions otherwise I'm not guaranteed someone will be sitting next to me when I get in the office.

* All communication needs to be async & recorded. Campfire, Basecamp, IM, email, etc. are used instead of face-to-face chat, as folks may not be here to hear it.

All summed up, I love it. I'd hate to work any other way.

Re: Not eating lunch with your team every day? You're missing out.

#57

Post by INTPenis »

theorique wrote: post #44
INTPenis wrote: post #9

I'm an IT consultant making Swedish style consultant money and I eat out of a plastic box at the office alone while most of my co-workers are usually eating out. I just think it's a waste of money to be honest. Maybe I'm being too pragmatic because this is far from the first time I hear that it strengthens morale and team spirit to eat together but I'm not paying 90SEK for a buffet when I get full from drinking a gla…

making Swedish style consultant money Is this humble or bragging? I honestly don't know how well (or poorly) Swedish consultants are paid?

Relative to some other nations it could be bragging, just look at the standard of living index. Or the big mac index for that matter. We're almost always close behind Norway.

But that doesn't translate to much when you live here. I just thought it was a funny way of emphasizing that I can afford to eat out every day.

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