Since March 2020, people and companies have faced a new and unsuspected challenge: staying at home. The whole COVID-19 situation and lockdown that followed forced us to stay inside. We all had to learn how to live with others again but most importantly, how to communicate.
And we all know that communication is key in a work environment. But how to keep teams unified, develop group skills and still ensure personal development? Bosses and managers, we might have a solution for you: team-building cooking classes.
Why Virtual Cooking Classes?
As we all have to stay at home and not mix with others as much as possible, there is no way to escape from the kitchen and cooking. If pasta satisfied many of us for entire weeks, it is time to diversify our cuisine. And cooking classes are here to help you learn new recipes that will definitely make you feel better. There are many reasons why cookery classes would be good for you and for your colleagues, so here is a (non-exhaustive) list of a few advantages:
Connecting with team mates: remote cooking classes can allow you to share a good moment with your colleagues outside of the work environment. There is no pressure, no deadline, no stress… just you, food, and other people to have a good time. “What? You didn’t know Laura from HR loved vegan Phô noodles, just like you?”
Physical health and self-care: cooking classes will be the best way to discover cuisines and dishes that will make your alimentation more diverse. Plus, healthy eating is also about varying food! It is a very good way to take care of yourself by choosing good, nutritious food. By taking this time for cooking, you are taking time for yourself and your health.
Motivating and engaging moments: you can do it. You can make that delicious meal and it feels amazing. Cooking, like baking, have been proved to help motivate people as it requires focusing on a list of precise tasks to complete. Also, let’s not forget it requires organisation. Planning out your meals and the recipe will definitely help you be more inspired and will probably make you feel less stressed on a daily basis.
Develop group skills and team effectiveness on the long term: such a learning experience will have a great impact on a team’s productivity and ability to solve problems. They will be more comfortable to openly discuss an issue, try to find a solution and make a decision.
Of course, there are other benefits to team-building classes but here are the main ones. Don’t forget about the individuals behind the workers, for whom those uncertain times must have been tough. A lot of us did not have the opportunity to take some time for cooking a good meal and sharing it with other people. This probably had an impact on their health, physical and mental. This culinary experience would definitely help everyone try something new and have a good time, whilst positively impacting teamwork.