Sarah Akanbi
2 min read
You’ve probably heard of Lunchtime Learning before - it’s usually a training session focussed on skills training, product training or professional development hosted by someone in the business during a lunch break. This format has a lot of positives; it gives employees a chance to share ideas, work on presentation skills or update colleagues on projects.
However; after spending time researching how a lot of businesses design their Lunchtime Learning, there is often one missing piece - inspiration!
As work life balance continues to blur it’s critical to take a human approach to your learning and development strategy including how you host your Lunchtime Learning. For the most part work is no longer only in the office between 9 and 5, it extends to commutes, lunch breaks, after hours, weekends and more. In the same vein, we need to make sure there is some time spent in the office discussing and learning about things that not only benefit people as employees, but in every part of their lives.
By shifting away from topics based on a strict definition of professional development you’ll be able to share opinions, ideas, and thoughts on things your team doesn’t normally discuss together. The point is that by moving from just professional development to “human” development you will help spark new ideas, creativity and inspiration.
When you work at building an environment where people feel inspired and motivated they will also feel engaged.
One way we at Reward Gateway have used Lunchtime Learning to inspire our staff is through Ted Talks. Ted Talks are a set of global conferences that are free to view online, they cover a huge range of topics. We have also done sessions around our values, team building exercises, and on occasion even a game of Heads Up!
In terms of inspiration, creativity and great discussion Ted Talks have been the best format for us - we watch the video, discuss the content and share ideas about how it could be applied to our lives and to the business.
The traditional format of Lunchtime Learning does offer opportunities for professional development. However, taking time to design a session around inspiration and development for the entire person will help your team become more creative, passionate and engaged.
What do you do to inspire your team? Let us know in the comments below.