Going out to lunch
Going out to lunch
(OP)
Based on some searching I've done here I know that I should be joining professional societies and such, but on a more local level I like to go out to lunch with coworkers to network. The wife on the other hand thinks it's a waste of money and to a certain extent I agree. I certainly don't want to go out every day, but rather at least once a week.
So my question to you is how often do you go out to lunch with your coworkers as opposed to bringing your lunch?
So my question to you is how often do you go out to lunch with your coworkers as opposed to bringing your lunch?





RE: Going out to lunch
But more than going out, each quarter we try to have a pot luck, where everyone brings something in for lunch. I much prefer them to eating at a restaurant, since the company usually covers the poultry and meats. Its a benefit of working in a small 35-person satellite office.
"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."
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RE: Going out to lunch
RE: Going out to lunch
However, the pub over the river is always a better bet for food and intra-comapny networking. The beer's better too.
http://www.theredlionshoreham.co.uk/
- Steve
RE: Going out to lunch
Now, the wife stays at home with the new kids, and I go home everyday, and spend time with them. Its all good when the kids are not screaming ;)
RE: Going out to lunch
On the other hand, going out with a vendor or competitor facing the same problems can be really useful. Before I retired I made it a point to talk to a Facilities Engineer at a competitor at least once a week and we had a standing date for a lunch once a month. We had really different approaches to basically the same set of problems and both were open to hearing other solutions. This was done with full knowledge of our respective management. Funny thing, after doing this for a few years the companies "merged" (but the name of my company stayed the same) and all of the sudden he was my boss--we almost never talked again because he was pretty confident that I was handling my business and he had other places to spend his energy.
Of course informal networking should be supplemented by finding a group of folks with similar problems (SPE did it for me, ASME and NACE really didn't) that have formal meetings.
David
RE: Going out to lunch
TTFN
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RE: Going out to lunch
From my last job, almost all of my linkin.com "colleagues" are the same people I went out to lunch with on a consistant basis.
RE: Going out to lunch
As for work lunches, if you really want to expand your network, take out vendors and/or clients. You may have to check to make sure it's not against any company policy though.
Jeff Mirisola, CSWP, Certified DriveWorks AE
http://designsmarter.typepad.com/jeffs_blog
RE: Going out to lunch
We used to go out as a department about once a month but it's been a while now. We have the odd potluck etc too, usually for the entire site. The food's often quesionable (given what their desks look like I dread to think of their kitchens) at least once I've just brought my own lunch and sat down with them.
I have one colleague from another department that I go out to lunch with every few weeks.
I do bring in goodies for the table in the middle of my dept when my wife bakes though (didnt' want you to think I was completely anti social).
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: Going out to lunch
Our company buys us lunch (cafeteria food) and that can be fun. I do go out to celebrate a special event, such as me quitting or a coworker quitting or a new hire. And I will go like once a month or so if asked. But never on a frequent basis.
Personally I think networking is overrated unless a guy is planning on quitting his/her job. The problem is the people you network with are probably in the same industry, and you'll most likely be out of work too due to an industry downtown. For example, a lot of the mortgage professionals get together to eat lunch frequently. Not sure that network is helping right now.
Going out to eat with vendors is nice if it's ok with your company ethics policy. It's really against the employee ethics policy but wasn't against the Harry S Stonecipher (former CEO) ethics policy so I do on ocassion. Usually I try to pay for my meal but that gets sticky.
If you do go out to lunch, though, try not to be clicky about it. I once worked with a group that was a big click and never invited a certain employee (me). That doesn't help anything out professional - but it can happen. I'd suggest not assuming that any one employee just doesn't like to go out. Even if they politely decline, they still probably appreciate the invite.
RE: Going out to lunch
I disagree - there are people on other floors of the building who I wouldn't hear from but maybe once per week if not for our lunches out. It's at lunch that some of our best plans are hatched.
RE: Going out to lunch
My group and manager are out of state, so nobody to go out to lunch with anymore.
Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 3.1
AutoCAD 06/08
ctopher's home (updated Jul 13, 2008)
ctopher's blog
RE: Going out to lunch
http://www.theredlionshoreham.co.uk/
Nice to see the Red Lion is still going. I used to frequent the premises when I was at IAD - but only once a week!
RE: Going out to lunch
"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."
Have you read FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies to make the best use of these Forums?
RE: Going out to lunch
I really like your tagline, where is it from?
I think it sounds better in reverse order, though.......
"Engineering without art is calculating; Art without engineering is dreaming".
RE: Going out to lunch
RE: Going out to lunch
Looks worth a visit.
Ah, followed the link, it is and It looks better all the time:
*Mondays is Pie & Pint
*Tuesdays is Cheap'n'Cheerful Bangers & Mash or Fish & Chips
*Wednesday is Holy Cow with Rib Eye Steak or Curry
*Thursdays is Pasta & Wine nights
Monday looks good to me (and they don't have "quiz night", thanks).
I always get a bit wary of "organised" pub dos, especially where management is concerned.
Pretty soon attendance or non-attendance becomes an issue. If you happen to have commitments that mean you can rarely attend then you wonder just what brown-nosing has been going on at your expense when you're not there. If you are a regular attendee then others wonder about you.
Management makes its own judgements which can be adverse either way.
The occasional "generosity" by management is a good idea, and institutionalised affair is not.
Also, there is always a tendency for some people to relax too far and the exercise of restraint is not the point of going to a pub or a dinner.
Pubs and casual dinning can be excellent for peers to exchange ideas and at conferences much more constructive gets achieved in the bar afterwards than around the table. But institutionalising such events soon establishes some sort of protocol which defeats the object.
JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com
RE: Going out to lunch
Monday evenings are good.
- Steve
RE: Going out to lunch
I often need it just to get out of the office and clear my head (as someone else mentioned)... I try and eat as healthy as possible though - really adds up if you're not careful.
RE: Going out to lunch
I go out for lunch with my co-workers, suppliers and customers too. It's all about having a little fun, de-stressing, and letting other people know that you're a human being. If they know you're a human being, they're less likely to treat you like a "resource" or a "salary" or a "boss" or a "vendor" etc. It has nothing whatsoever to do with work, but it provides benefits for my work too.
RE: Going out to lunch
My wife and I are very cheap people anyways, we can easily fit lunches and dinners into our budget.
RE: Going out to lunch
My signature line is a quote from Steven K. Roberts.
http://microship.com/
"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."
Have you read FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies to make the best use of these Forums?
RE: Going out to lunch
RE: Going out to lunch
RE: Going out to lunch
Just found out today from someone...
My manager and group are ALL in Wash state. I'm here in SoCal alone.
He took the whole group out to a nice steak restaurant yesterday for recognition for releasing our new version of CAD!
No word from any of them!!
No budget to fly me there or have me go out to lunch!
Time to look for a transfer....
Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 3.1
AutoCAD 08
ctopher's home (updated Aug 5, 2008)
ctopher's blog
SolidWorks Legion
RE: Going out to lunch
RE: Going out to lunch
Our office holds training sessions at lunch time for things like safety, marketing, project management. They do it at at lunch time instead of during working hours so that they don't have to pay us but they do provide a modestlunch.
A one lunch there was a tray of cookies but the office manager made the delivery man take them back. She kept saying "Cookies are not company policy"
RE: Going out to lunch
Holy crap. They're already there, just live with the happy surprise for everyone and be sure to clarify the order next time.
It amazes me how little so many managers understand about motivation and morale. No one's going to work extra-hard for a cookie, but showing that you're petty enough to take away the cookie, that's a demotivator.
My inner three-year-old is right now sobbing over my inner lost cookie. It had sprinkles on it. Rainbow sprinkles.
Hg
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RE: Going out to lunch
There can be some benefit at least in regards to networking and truly getting to know your fellow coworkers. You don't have to be friends to go out to lunch and BS about work or just life in general. Who knows. 20 years from now that person might remember you and help you out if you need a job or vice versa.
Definitely agree that it helps to clear your head. What country is that where they used to go home and take a nap at lunch? (think a 100 or so years ago) Thats what I would like ;) Some places I worked they do that now but it is in their car after they finish their 40 ;)
RE: Going out to lunch
I think in the last year I've been out to lunch more with our CAD vendor than with any one group of colleagues, though my boss is always there.
At my last place in the UK we all brown bagged it most days and we'd sit around together and chat. Used to do that a bit at my current place but not so much now.
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: Going out to lunch
Agree about the cookies, for sure. Though nobody will work 5% harder for 5% more pay, nothing motivates people to slack off and/or look for another job better than the feeling that they're being cheated out of, say, even 2% of their pay. Or that the company is too cheap to spring for cookies! If indeed this is true company policy rather than the actions of some misguided admin witch, it's an indication of how they TRULY value their employees...
RE: Going out to lunch
Hg
Eng-Tips policies: FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
RE: Going out to lunch
There's nothing in the company policy about cookies but it's the company policy that we get paid for mandatory training. But hey, office politics; sometimes you got to bite the bullet - which is probably against one of our 20 gazillion safety policies.
RE: Going out to lunch
In one job, I worked out, it was a bit of a rush but it really does rejuvenate you for the afternoon. It's not really an option in this job at this point.
I carry a pager and could get paged at any time. Most of my co-workers don't leave the department for lunch very often. It almost becomes an issue of guilt. That and leaving the department has never become a habit because invariably two or 3 days a week I can't leave since I'm working during the lunch hours and trying to eat where I can and very quickly.
They revamped the library near where I work and it's a short walk. I want to start going there. I have to eat before I go there, so I'll start bringing a sandwich. It's incredible to go from a loud chaotic workplace to one in which it is quiet. When I've done this I stay until I feel what I call the "relaxation response", which is a feeling of some calmness before I head back to the grind! It normally takes at least 15 minutes and of course if I get paged I may never feel the calm feeling!
Already lamenting the fact I may not have time the next 3 days of the week.
RE: Going out to lunch
If there is so much work that everyone has to work lunch times then the company needs to recruit more people.
If they won't do this then you have to decide what work you can do and what you cannot do or let management prioritise.
You really need to take your breaks whether you eat or go to the library.
Guilt?
Who should feel guilty?
You can bet that when push comes to shove the company won't award brownie points.
I always took my breaks. I may have worked later and then some more at home but breaks are important.
JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com