Lunch and learn

Why a lunch and learn?

You meet your staff where they are at by hosting a lunch and learn. You also save them the time, energy, and costs from trying to learn more about a well-being topic on their own. By offering a presentation or a discussion, you offer them the opportunity to build awareness, motivation, and skills for a healthy behavior.

How can I get started?

Follow these steps to plan, promote, and host a successful lunch and learn.

1. Create a speaker form
   Make sure you include an ethics guideline.
2. Create a speaker selection process
3. Plan what topics to share
   We offer a few lunch and learn ideas. Use your organization's SmartHealth activity data to learn what topics interest your staff.
4. Find speakers for your topics
   You might find dynamic speakers that will not charge a fee through local colleges, state agencies, or from within your own organization.
5. Invite speakers
   Make sure you include a deadline to respond.
6. Reserve rooms
   Choose a space that is easy to access, setup, and cleanup. Involve your facilities team when you plan.
7. Get organized
   Use a calendar or a simple list to keep track of your events.
8. Create promotions
   Be creative! Pick options (email, flyer, desk drop, etc.) you can easily share. A great internal resource is your organization’s communications team.
9. Start promoting
   People won’t come if they don’t know it’s going on. Find others to help you promote. Involve and invite leadership and managers.
10. Final prep
    Remind speakers, finalize logistics, and wrap up any loose ends to host your event.
11. Have fun!

Offer a reward

A fun and simple way to enhance your lunch and learn is to offer a reward. You don't need a big budget. Your speaker might even offer to help. Here are three simple ideas to try:

1. Say thanks
   A simple thank you email or letter can go a long way. You can also feature their attendance on your website, newsletter, or email.
2. Random drawing
   Hold a drawing by handing out tickets as people walk in. You could save paper by doing it all online if people register by email. 
3. Passport game
   Hand out passports to staff. Stamp their passport each time they attend a lunch and learn. Once they attend enough of them, they turn in their passport to either win a prize or enter a drawing.

Lunch and learn ideas

There are many great topics, but here are a few ideas.

• Ergonomics
  • Improve your workspace or get set-up for success.
• Financial well-being
  • Create a budget, manage your money, or plan for retirement.
• Giving back
  • Why you should volunteer, benefits of helping others, or how to get involved.
• Healthy eating
  • How to eat healthy at work, how to plan healthy lunches, or how to eat healthy when you eat out.
• Movement
  • Simple movements at your desk, how to exercise at work, or move smarter not harder.
• Sleep
  • How to sleep better, how much sleep do I need, or unplug before bed.
• SmartHealth
  • Why you should try it, how it works, or how it helps
• Stress
  • Reduce stress from your desk, how to relax at work, or less stress for success.