This is gonna sound weird, but have meetings over food sometimes. To start, here are some useful “meetings” that are best with lunch, coffee or drink:
- Cross functional lunch groups – Lunch groups are pre-scheduled groups of co-workers (who might be randomly matched) so that people can get to know co-workers they may not work with directly. Icebreakers help, esp if the group has a lot of introverts.
- Monthly happy hour – For those that need to blow off steam and connect over a spirituous beverage. Just limit yourself to one.
- Outing – Go somewhere fun together. Don’t try to get something directly productive out of it. Just play and enjoy.
- Beverage run 1:1’s – The best way to connect is over a cup of caffeine and sugar. Boba is good too.
- Planning and conspiring in small groups over food – The late night pizza driven session is the canonical example, but it can be healthier than that. Need to bond and focus with a small group? Ordering in food takes one distraction off the table, brings people together and refuels their mind.
- Some types of brainstorming – Depending on the materials and process a little mental lubrication, and a celebratory “free wheeling” atmosphere can lower creative inhibitions. Be careful of HR violations though.
Other tips for this kind of sociable meeting:
- Meet in inspiring places. Free museums, public spaces or libraries nearby? Get a new context. Also useful sometimes to build a “regular” place or habit with these, as that can add to the sense of being an in-group and bonding.
- Have fun together without being a partay animal! Never ever drink more than your team.
- These events are, at their core, to remind people of their shared humanity, encourage social bonding and to build empathy. They don’t need to be directly productive. Stop checking email and IM and listen to each other.
- These approaches are often as, or more, effective as “team building” programs and systems, but without the consultants and binders and worksheets. To start: just be human with each other sometimes.
- If your team chemistry is bad, or a team member is toxic, this won’t work. But it will help you diagnose that in your attempt.
Sharing a meal, playing a game or just doing whatever let’s you be together, but not working. It gives you and your team members a reminder to respect and understand each other as human beings, not just functions. When tense moments flare or all-hands-on-deck emergencies arise, this can pay off immensely. A shared sense of humanity can make all the difference in how a team works.