You know that look. The glazed eyes, the tilted head, the slightly parted lips just a few seconds away from releasing just the faintest hint of drool – that is not the look you want to see on your employees’ faces during a meeting.
Sure, you’ve loaded up on the visual aids and the jokes, but do you know how to keep them up and alert throughout the whole thing? Getting the right kind of food. So, here are a few suggestions for coming up with a menu that can get the creative juices flowing without turning the event into an all-out fiesta:
Go easy on the sugar. Say goodbye to donuts, cookies, cupcakes, and good gosh, that chocolate fondue! Giving your employees lots of sugar (especially at the beginning of the meeting) can get them on a sugar high during the first half hour or so, but sends them crashing back down shortly after.
Keep things light. The body needs to exert extra energy to digest food. So if you serve heavy, full-course meals loaded with carbs and red meat, your employees’ bodies will direct more blood to their stomach than to their brain, which can easily send them off to dreamland.
Stick to something simple.What’s just as bad as food that makes employees sleepy is food that gets things messy. While serving succulent lobsters, burgers slathered with slaw, saucy chicken wings, or tender pork ribs might earn you a “World’s best boss” mug this Christmas, this can definitely slow down your meeting. Not only will employees be distracted by figuring out the best way to attack their food, but they’re also likely to get some of the delicious mess on papers, folders, clothing, upholstery… you get the picture.
So what kind of food do you usually serve at meetings? How’d that work out for you? We’d love to hear your stories!
