The lunchroom is a great place to learn about your company

Published 1:30 am Thursday, January 3, 2019

Most of the world’s work is done by people in companies. And to succeed and prosper in a company, it helps to understand it — not only as an organization of skills, but also as a society of people.

The word “company” has its origins in Latin and means, literally, “with bread.” Centuries ago, merchants traveled throughout Europe in search of trading opportunities. Since many or most of these opportunities would involve meeting strangers for the first time, it was a custom to begin by sharing some bread. And that sharing process eventually became the identifier of the merchants themselves.

In Europe at the time, much of the population lived perilously close to starvation, and the words of the Lord’s Prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread,” had an immediacy that, fortunately, would be lost to economic development.

The shared “breaking of bread” though, has not lost its power to bring people together. It still encourages conversation, in no small part because it provides a common ground: we all eat food. At a meal many differences simply disappear. Strangers become companions, literally, if only for a short while.

Some foods naturally break down social barriers. It is very difficult, for example, to put on airs when eating a slice of pizza, a plate of hot wings or an order of barbecued ribs.

Employers still use lunches or dinners to vet candidates for key jobs in a company.

As a manager you can use the power of breaking bread together to do your job better.

While a significant number of people eat their lunch at their desk, most workplaces have at least a break room or some facility where workers can prepare and eat their lunch. Usually the food preparation equipment is limited to a microwave oven, a coffee maker and perhaps a refrigerator, but as long as there is a table and a place to sit down, it qualifies as a lunchroom.

Few managers are ever seen in the lunchroom, and that is unfortunate because it is a place where they can learn a lot. If you want to get a perspective on your business that will help you understand how things really work, your own lunchroom can often provide you with one. All you need to do is listen.

One of the easiest New Year’s resolutions you will ever make is to spend more time in the lunchroom. And if you follow a few simple guidelines, it will make you a more effective manager.

Set a goal, but not a schedule. If you suddenly show up in the lunch room every Thursday at 11:45 a.m., it will look like a “project” or an item on a check list. It is OK to be a creature of habit, but let it come naturally. As a manager your work schedule is probably somewhat or mostly irregular and your luncheon habits should reflect that.

Remember that you are there primarily to listen, not to show off how smart you are. You may have academic degrees that the other workers don’t, but the bad coffee and questionable vending machine sandwiches are a great equalizer.

Bring some reading material, preferably a magazine or journal article. While smart phones and laptop screens are “don’t bother me” private, an article on paper, or even in book form, is a social item. Everyone can see what you are reading, and it can act as a conversation starter – so be prepared for that. If you are studying Boolean algebra, for example, you might expect your companions to wonder why. And that gives you an opportunity to talk about data analysis and how that could lead to better customer service and more efficient inventory control. A book on a sports figure can start a conversation about who has a chance to make the playoffs. Conversation can lead to trust and that can affect other shared information.

Don’t take notes; rely on your memory and jot down later any salient points in your conversations. Remember, it is a conversation, not an interrogation.

Don’t get drawn in to expressing your political opinions. Learn to listen carefully to what is being said while being non-committal about your own thoughts. The same applies to religion; show respect but keep your beliefs to yourself.

If done right, breaking bread in the lunchroom can provide you with a valuable perspective on how the systems, operations, rules and regulations look in the real world of the front lines, and an insight into what works and what doesn’t. This, in turn, will reshape the way you do your job and make you a better manager … working in a better company. And you might even enjoy it.