Creating a lunch and learn program at your office is one of the best ways to engage your employees and provide opportunities for training and development.
If you go to the trouble of planning a lunch and learn event, you want to make sure people actually show up. Providing incentives like free lunch or an additional “free” hour at the end of the week can be a great place to start. If you want to start a truly successful program at your office, develop lunch and learn topics that actually excite and engage your coworkers.
Not sure where to start? We put together a giant list of ideas to get your creative juices flowing. Check them out below.
Download our complete list of 130 lunch & learn ideas
Sample Lunch and Learn Topics
- Monthly Book Club. Invite everyone to read the same book for a month, and then meet to discuss the book’s main message.
- Managing Conflict at Work. This type of training is best delivered with an in-person trainer and a workbook to get staff involved in the training.
Find Your Perfect Caterer:
- Lunch with TED. TED Talks are a great idea for a lunch and learn session. There are many TED talks that could be suitable for using in your lunch and learn program, but here are some popular examples: Simon Sinek: How Great Leaders Inspire Action; Dan Pink: The Puzzle of Motivation; and Seth Godin: This is Broken.
- Making A Good First Impression. Offer tips for making a good first impression on new staff members, when meeting with upper management, or interviewing for an internal position.
- Managing Change and Transition at Work. If you’re planning a lot of internal changes, this is a great training to have a few weeks before announcing any of these so that people are prepared.
- Cross-Training. Invite a staff member train another staff member on his or her day-to-day job. This is an ideal lunch-and-learn for people working the same department but in different roles.
- Ways to Reduce Stress and Meet Your Deadline. Offer tips and strategies on using stress to propel you forward and meet your deadline without feeling pressured or overwhelmed.
- How to Beat the Afternoon “Slump.” Tips and strategies on how to boost energy levels in the afternoon by eating the right types of foods and exercise during the day.
- How to Create a Workspace That Enhances Creativity. Offer ideas about how you can add color and positivity to your desk area to inspire creativity and productivity at work.
- Introduction to the Pomodoro Time Management Technique. How to implement this technique at work for optimal productivity.
- How to be an Unbiased Leader. Strategies for being fair and unbiased in the workplace, particularly for those in management roles.
- Becoming a Team Player. Provide strategies for encouraging staff to work as a team and how to help others within the team with a collaborative lunch and learn.
- Getting Clear on What You Want in Life. How to figure out what you want out of life and what steps to take to achieve your goals.
- How to Manage Your Personal Finances. Include budgeting tips and how to start a savings plan for your retirement.
- How to Create an Extra Hour Every Day. Time management strategies that allow you to get more out of life by making the most of the time you have.
What are your favorite lunch and learn topics? Share them in the comments below.
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