Teams that eat together stay together

What if the most effective team-building exercise in the world was an activity that has minimal costs, is easy to implement, and is something we already do every single day? Well, that’s exactly the case according to some researchers at Cornell, who found significant positive correlations between coworkers eating together and overall team performance.

When you think about it, it makes a ton of sense. Sharing a meal fosters a primal, instinctive kind of intimacy that no hokey trust fall is ever going to reproduce. The researchers used the example of firefighters, who famously cook and eat together on a regular basis, and found that cooperative behavior was considerably greater—about twice as high—among team members who ate with one another than among those who didn’t.  They wrote: “Behavior that might seem superfluous or wasteful to outside observers ultimately carries significant importance for organizational performance.”

Obviously most companies aren’t a firehouse, where team members can spend hours each day preparing meals and eating together, but there’s good reason to believe that similar lessons can be applied in any workplace. Some companies invest in on-site cafeterias, which increase productivity by encouraging employees to stay in the office for lunch and reduce transit time, but also raise the probability that team members will break bread with one another.

Even companies without a cafeteria can reap the benefits. Think of a weekly team outing to a nearby restaurant, or an occasional catered conference room lunch.  The evidence is clear: getting everyone together in an informal setting on a regular basis can produce real benefits for your team’s creativity and culture.

Jerry’s Kitchen is your go-to caterer for all of your workplace meals, whether it’s a team building lunch, employee appreciation day, or company-wide party. We work with clients to develop custom menus to suit their needs and tastes, and are proud to offer a full range of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Give us a call today and we’ll give you a free quote right there on the phone. And while it’s warm out, why not get the team outside for their cooperation-boosting lunch? Our food truck just needs a little bit of flat ground to set up, and we hear that sunshine also has a positive impact on team performance!