The working lunch can develop a negative reputation among employees. It often involves being in a roomful of other people with low blood sugar, trying to stay awake while someone drones on about policies, procedures, etc. Lunch and learns, however, should be engaging and enjoyable. Hosting a lunch and learn correctly will improve employee satisfaction and the quality of employee training.
Research has consistently demonstrated that when clear goals are associated with learning, it occurs more easily and rapidly. At the end of this course, you should be able to:
- Understand what a lunch and learn is and is not
- Be able to set up and break down
- Create new content
- Address difficult situations and people
- Create useful takeaways
- Use feedback to improve future lunch and learns
The Prep Work
- Finding the Best Location
- Setting up the Location
- Focus Group
- Practice
- Case Study
- Assessment
Creating the Content (I)
- Picking the Right Topic
- Hands on Works Great
- Stay Focused
- Keep It Informal
- Case Study
- Assessment
Creating the Content (II)
- Make It Interactive
- Review It Thoroughly
- Creating a Customized Presentation
- Back It Up!
- Case Study
- Assessment
During the Session
- Ground Rules
- Quick Opening
- Parking Lot
- Adjusting on the Fly
- Case Study
- Assessment
Food and Facilities
- Providing Food?
- People Bringing Their Own
- Eat During or After?
- Clean up or Teardown
- Case Study
- Assessment
Take Away Material
- Handouts and Take Away Material
- Quizzes or Self-Tests
- Websites with Minutes and Session Notes
- Case Study
- Assessment
Reference Material or White Paper
- Difficult Situations or People
- Disruptions
- Food Issues
- Senior Management Buy in
- People Not Participating?
- Case Study
- Assessment
What a Lunch and Learn Is Not
- Heavy or Serious Topics
- Required Training
- Replacement for Traditional Training
- Just a Free Lunch
- Case Study
- Assessment
Best Practices (I)
- Obtain Feedback and Tweak
- Utilize Star Employees
- Provide an Agenda Ahead of Time
- Keep the Session Casual and Loose
- Case Study
- Assessment
