Organise a regular lunch with your team

Are you starting to build a team?

When lunchtime rolls around, do your staff all go their separate ways to nibble on their soggy sandwiches or get their midday caffeine fix alone?

When was the last time you gathered up the flock for a team lunch?

If the answer is “ages ago” or “never”, it might be worth considering.

Even if you only have just one or two employees, having everyone meet for lunch or coffee one day each week is a great way to build team cohesion.

It’s been demonstrated that around 27% of hostages end up developing feelings of empathy for their captors after a shared meal. So it’s not outlandish to expect at least a little more Stockholm-style sympathy from your captives – sorry, staff – afterwards.

Similarly, even if you’re a sole trader, it might be worthwhile organising a regular business lunch with other soloists and businesspeople in your area. At the very least, it will break your sense of isolation while also forging and strengthening valuable local business contacts.

Of course, there’s the issue of cost.

Obviously, regularly meeting your team for a three-course meal at a five-star restaurant is completely out of the question.

But it might be possible to ask everyone to bring a plate of snacks or sandwiches to work one day. Or perhaps – with each employee paying their own way – you could all march down to a nearby cafe at lunchtime.

An old favourite of your dear Old Taskmaster is to organise a team barbeque at a local park on special occasions. It’s team building for the cost of a loaf of bread and a meat tray.

Get it done – at lunchtime!