What does an International Snacking Experience have to do with having a strong team? A lot actually!
Creating connections with team members is a great way to increase communication, innovation, and productivity. Instead of creating these connections only through work – you can also do so with everyday activities. One of the best ways is through a food connection. Team members enjoy a great snack while bonding with one another.
Researchers at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business conducted a study in which teams were given access to snack foods. Some ate the snacks at the same time – though no members were physically together. Some ate the snacks on different days.
The first group – those who could experience eating a food simultaneously (though not in the same space) – recorded higher levels of well-being and connection. They also rated the foods as more satisfying.
Researchers called this effect “temporal integration”. Humans have an innate desire to share experiences with others – even when they are apart.
What is our International Snack Experience? We’re glad you asked!
In our International Snack Experience, your team will learn about snacks from around the world as well as the differences, and the similarities of how different cultures snack. Each team member will receive a kit that includes 3 snacks and a beverage originating from South America, Asia, Europe, and Africa. Your team will go on a journey through each country. Each story offers different team members a chance to share more about their culture and foods that have a special memory for them.
What’s the Connection Between Food and Team Building?
When you think about it, food is a huge part of our life. Everyone has to eat and doing so with others tends to make people feel more open and vulnerable. The inclusion of food creates a feeling of safety that fosters better connections with other people. There’s no reason that can’t be used in the workplace.
Tons of different traditions relate to food. Eating food is a personal experience for every human. When you share that food connection with other people, you gain knowledge about them. You’ll get to learn more about their background and find common ground. It also lets you see how every person on a team is unique and offers something different from the next.
A food connection is all about new experiences, perspectives, and openness. This is something that can only be found when sharing and eating food together. The best part is that this kind of experience can be had virtually as well as in person. It’s an excellent way to improve the bonds between members of a team.
How Does a Food Connection Contribute to Team Growth?
People love different dishes and ingredients; what each person likes differs based on their customs, culture, dietary restrictions, celebrations, family heritage, and general likes and dislikes. Talking about the food we enjoy offers an outstanding way to connect on a deeper level.
While some people have trouble sharing, food can help bridge that gap. The reality is that people love to share food. You see it on social media all the time. People post photos of what they have made (or bought) and are eating at all three meals. Many also enjoy sharing recipe links. You also can’t forget all the times that people visit others and bring food as a gift.
As team members, sharing favorite meals, preferences, and culture can foster growth. Members learn more about one another which strengthens current bonds. The more workers connect, the more trust they have between themselves. This creates an environment ripe for creativity.
Connect Through Food – Hybrid or Virtually
For virtual or hybrid teams, you might think the food connection is harder to foster. That isn’t true, though. You can set up a video call and have people enjoy a meal together or have coworkers share a recipe that everyone can make. All team members can see how their meal turned out when made by others and the final result can be consumed together.
This isn’t the only way you can create a connection using food. Consider making exchanging food reviews, recommendations, and recipes a common practice for your team. Use Slack or another messaging tool to create a channel just for food if the team members are inspired by it. People can share photos of meals, send their favorite recipes, and talk about all aspects of food.
Or you can make things more formal a true international snack journey. At Teamraderie, we send out kits to everyone on the team. Team members can try various snacks on video and connect with each other. Vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free options are available so everyone can get involved. Find out more and order your kit today.
What are you waiting for? Get snacking!
Teamraderie Experiences can be explored and booked online via Teamraderie experience finder. If you are seeking a personalized recommendation, reach out to us at team@teamraderie.com.
