10/07/2025
YES, CHEF! This quote from my dad was the kernel of my recent Disrupt HR Traverse City (DisruptHR) presentation. “Cooking and serving food for other people is the most intimate thing you can do with your clothes on.” It’s something we laughed about during the 1970s when he had several restaurants in Manhattan. Under its tongue-in-cheek humor lies a profound truth—the act of preparing, eating, and sharing food allows us to lower our guard. We open up, feel less stressed, and gain trust. It’s a lesson every business should understand.
The importance of food to organizational culture and performance often gets overlooked in today’s fast-paced business environment. According to a 2012 study, 65% of Americans eat lunch at their desks or skip it altogether!
Yet, we also know that employees who prepare and eat food together demonstrate measurable benefits to their teams and organizations: a 2x increase in cooperation among team members on the job, increased levels of psychological safety, and 23% greater employee satisfaction!
What are you doing to ensure your teams are encouraged to eat well, prepare food together, and share time around a table, just learning about each other?
See my full article on this subject with citations on my Substack.
https://substack.com/
