Why You Should Try a Corporate Cooking Class
Food has a way of bringing people together. Whether it’s a Sunday brunch, special occasion or a meetup, food will always be present. Family and friends always find time to bond together when preparing or sharing a meal.
The same applies to companies. Team building activities were specifically made for bonding purposes. Rock climbing, laser tag, hiking, fun, and games make up these activities. But imagine going out of the norm and having a team building cooking class?
Now you might not be a “kitchen person” and that’s okay because it’s all about bonding! And growing stronger as a corporate because it’s all about teamwork. Plus, if you remain open-minded, you might learn some impressive culinary skills along the way!
Here Are 6 Benefits of Taking A Team Building Cooking Class
1. Increased Problem Solving Abilities
The kitchen can be a nightmare especially when you have no clue what you are doing. A fire could break out, food can burn and you can seriously hurt yourself.
Because of the pressure that comes with working together to pull off a great meal, mishaps are bound to occur. The team might run out of ingredients, a team member may be injured etc. So what’s your plan B?
This is one of the factors team building corporate cooking classes address. The question of “how do we solve this problem?” The key is to think logically as a team and come to a common solution that will get the job gets done. The same principle is later applied in the work environment.
2.
Team Cohesion and Work Ethic
As human beings, we are born to live among others. Even the most indigenous communities in the world seek refuge in the comfort of a group. Animals also find prefer to walk in groups for protection and survival.
Working in unity with a team determines to a great extent how well you perform. Nobody wants to work with an irritable team member or one who does not take correction. At some point, you need the help and input of the other person to excel at your work.
Corporate team building cooking classes address this matter head-on. Imagine you are cooking meat, the other person pasta, and the other garnish. You feel you can get the job done faster alone and serve the entire dish. However, you need to work with others to find out how far they are so that you can all plate and serve one dish.
So you may not like everyone in your team but you will be required to work together to put out the final product. When you transfer this principle in your workplace, you will learn to accommodate different personalities and work cohesively in a team.
3. Creativity and Innovation
Have you noticed a trend in today’s job market where employers are looking for creativity and innovation in candidates?
Reason being, boredom and routine has a way of dragging team morale and business. When it comes to corporate cooking events, you may be focused on preparing a perfect dish. But then your mind begins to wonder. Your competitive spirit comes out and you start thinking of an innovative way to make your dish more creative. You start to action that idea at the back of your mind and it actually works!
This is why a team building cooking class is so important for your creativity. You get to think outside the box and do things in an extraordinary way. You also get to interact with your fellow co-workers and hear their innovative ideas.
So the next time you itch with an innovative idea in your workplace, go ahead and present it. You never know how much your creativity and innovation will benefit the company.
4. Skills Development
You will never know unless you try. I have seen people discover skills they never knew they had until they did something new. During a team building cooking class, you might come to find out that you have skills you never knew off.
For instance, you might be very good with delegating duties, leading or supervising your team. You also get to learn and enjoy new cooking skills such as knife technique, assorted foods, understanding how to make food from recipes, food presentation etc.
The same way you learned skills in your job will be the same way you learn new skills in a corporate cooking class. If you are open to learning new skills in the kitchen, you will also be open to learning new and improved skills at your place of work.
5. Mutually Beneficial Social Relationships
How much do you know about your fellow co-worker? Do you wonder how he grew up, what keeps him/her going?
Team building cooking classes are so much more than just cooking. They also allow you to get to know the other person in a more personal way. You get to understand who they are outside of work. Their family, interests, strengths, and weaknesses. At the same time, they also get to know you as more than a colleague. You share deeper and meaningful conversations which in turn increase your bond.
This interaction outside the office strengthens working relationships in the office. Since you now know each other well, you start leveraging on strengths. The team’s productivity is highly increased because you all enjoy each other’s accompany.
6. Connecting In-House and External Personnel
A company is made upon on-site employees and external workers. More often, these two groups of people never meet. You probably only know the voice and name of the other person and have never seen their face. Perhaps you only interact with the online.
Meeting and interacting with each other builds trust and relationships. Even though you might be strangers, cooking together will start conversations. The next time you interact with your external or in-house colleagues, there will be increased collaboration, teamwork, and productivity.
The Team That Cooks Together, Performs Together!
When employees cook together, team spirit is boosted and work productivity is increased. Bonds are formed and targets are met. The practical lessons learned during a team building cooking class are transferred to the company.
Learn more about our team building activities.