1 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: Good morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the New Corner Office, 2 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: the podcast where we share strategies for thriving in the 3 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 1: new world of work where their location and hours are 4 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:22,080 Speaker 1: more flexible than in the past. Today's tip is to 5 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:25,919 Speaker 1: never eat lunch alone, even if you're not physically in 6 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:29,880 Speaker 1: an office. Lunch time can and should be social time, 7 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 1: regardless of the circumstances, and even if you have to 8 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: get a little bit creative about making it work. You've 9 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:40,560 Speaker 1: almost certainly heard the phrase to never eat alone before. 10 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 1: Keith Ferazi, for instance, used this phrase as the title 11 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 1: of his book about Relationships and professional Success. We all 12 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 1: know that networking is vital to our career growth, and 13 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 1: we also know that relaxed interactions like lunch help build 14 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:59,279 Speaker 1: authentic relationships. What's new now is that many people are 15 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 1: working remote for the first time, as the world engages 16 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: in social distancing measures to slow the spread of COVID nineteen. 17 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:09,760 Speaker 1: If you work from home, even in normal times, it 18 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:13,480 Speaker 1: can be tempting to embrace your freedom and flexibility and 19 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: to avoid scheduled commitments. If you're in charge of your 20 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 1: own schedule, you may not want to stop for lunch 21 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 1: until you're hungry, and there may be some wisdom in 22 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 1: that which will discuss in other episodes. Or to be honest, 23 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 1: maybe you're sitting there in sweatpants and don't feel like 24 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: needing to shower by a certain time. Having lunch with 25 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 1: a companion then seems to disrupt your efficiency, and perhaps 26 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:40,479 Speaker 1: it does, but that's true. If you're a workplace too, 27 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: you may have to stop your work when you're in 28 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 1: a state of flow to go to scheduled lunch date. 29 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 1: So be it. What's gained in relationships will probably make 30 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 1: up for what's lost in efficiency. For those of us 31 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: who work at home, whether by choice or necessity, more 32 00:01:56,800 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 1: intentionality is required for developing and maintaining relationships. Lunch dates 33 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 1: can be a key part of fostering our professional relationships, 34 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 1: since we don't cross paths with each other as much 35 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 1: as inoffice workers do. When social distancing is over, it 36 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: will be great to do these dates in person. Right now, 37 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: virtual lunch dates are a great substitute. Here's how this works. 38 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:26,079 Speaker 1: Make yourself lunch and then log on to a video 39 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 1: call for conversation with a professional colleague or friend. If 40 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,919 Speaker 1: you haven't done this before, you may be surprised at 41 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 1: how much real connection can happen and how much you'll 42 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 1: enjoy it. Yes, it's a little weird to eat on 43 00:02:40,639 --> 00:02:43,679 Speaker 1: a video call, but you watch people eat when you're 44 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: in a restaurant too, you'll figure out how to avoid 45 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 1: doing anything uncouth. You can schedule these lunch dates or 46 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:52,920 Speaker 1: text one of your colleagues last minute to join you, 47 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: just like you would in person. Lunch dates can happen 48 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 1: with people in your house too. If you have a 49 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 1: partner or kids who are home right now, you can 50 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 1: have lunch with them. Not just grab and gost sandwiches 51 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 1: that everybody eats in front of their own screens, but 52 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 1: lunch on a plate at a table, talking with each other. 53 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:17,520 Speaker 1: Enjoy the opportunity to share a meal together in the 54 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:21,360 Speaker 1: middle of the day. Someday this will all be over 55 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: and family lunches on a Tuesday will be a lot 56 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 1: harder to pull off, So embrace it now. If you 57 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 1: commit to never eating lunch alone, even if it means 58 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: having virtual lunch dates, let me know how it goes. 59 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 1: You can reach me at Laura at Laura Vanderkam dot com. 60 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 61 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: here's to succeeding in the New Corner Office. The New 62 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 1: Corner Office is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts, 63 00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get 64 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.