Going out to lunch 2

[floattuber]

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?

 

[MadMango]

I go out for lunch every day. I have to get out of the office, clear my head, etc, etc. On occasion someone will ask to join me, I don't mind. As an office, we try to go to lunch on Fridays as a group, but there is a core of 5 that always makes it.

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."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of these Forums?

 

[Lion06]

We have a catered lunch at the office every day of every week.

 

[SomptingGuy]

We have a contract catering company that uses company facilities to provide meals every day, plus buffets, etc for meetings.

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

 

[TDAA]

At my last job, it was everyday. We would typically expence it out amoung thoose of us who could.

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

 

[zdas04]

The benefit of going to lunch with your colleagues is approximately zero. You've heard everything they have to say about engineering during breaks in meetings. You might care if their kids are playing soccer or rugby, but it isn't going to make you more effective.

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

 

[IRstuff]

Almost never. Most lunches that you buy outside tend to have portions more consistent with 2 lunches.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[floattuber]

zdas04 brings up a good point and one I was meaning to get at in my original post. Do you see a benefit in going out to lunch with colleagues?

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.

 

[JMirisola]

The company that I'm doing work for takes us out every Wednesday night for dinner and drinks and they pony up the quarters for the pool tables. It's a great way to get to know people on a more casual level and, in my opinion, makes working with them easier.
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

 

[KENAT]

I brown bag (well actually an ice chest thingy) it to save money & calories! Plus I usually only take 1/2 hour to help get my hours in within 4 days instead of 5.

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...

 

[cedarbluffranch]

I don't go out to lunch. I figure a typical lunch is about $10 and if I do that 260 days a year, that's about $2600 that I could save for retirement or put cash into an emergency fund. (I assume that everyone on here that goes out to lunch has enough cash to pay for six months living expenses in case they are laid off?) I think the value of going out to eat for networking purposes is zero and personally I don't care for restaurants anyway.

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.

 

[ivymike]

heard everything they have to say about engineering during breaks in meetings.

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.

 

[ctopher]

I bring my lunch two days a week, the other three I work virtual from home.
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

 

[rrrocket]

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/

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!

 

[MadMango]

There's probably no benefit to lunching with co-workers for the sake of networking, unless you are in a very large company (+300 employees) and can meet with people from other disciplines.

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of these Forums?

 

[Lion06]

madmango-

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".

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

My boss is often "out to lunch".

 

[jmw]

The Red Lion, is that the one on the little roundabout on the way down from the A27?
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

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[SomptingGuy]

Our works is over the old wooden toll bridge from that pub and that bridge has been out of commission since February (refurbishment). When we went over it for the first time in a while last week, the pub was still there and still in business. Phew!

Monday evenings are good.

- Steve

 

[TwinScrew]

I work in sales, so going out for lunch is near requisite (co-workers, customers, consultants).
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.