In 2011, we launched Lunch & Learn. Our first client was Asia Pacific Brewery. We were excited. The topic was stress management.
It is a unique way of learning, training, and bonding. What started as a small project to test the market’s receptiveness to bite-sized learning turned out to be a huge success. Organisations embraced the idea. The concept of bite-sized learning became popular because it was effective and easily implementable. The idea caught on quickly. We have since reached many thousands of leaders and employees with more than a hundred different titles.
Lunchtime is also convenient. Employees are already running errands and working out at the gym within the 1-hour. Why not learn as well? Organisations save time and money; employees get to learn and bond together. 1.5 decades later, a dozen other training organisations are following the same format.
What did we do right that kept our client base growing and clients coming back? We summarise everything in 5 words. The first 3 relate to our strategy and the last 2 relate to what we do at the workshop.
1) CHANGE. Be ready to change and adapt, but speed matters too. We completed our first Zoom training at the beginning of 2020, at the time when COVID had not kicked in with a lockdown. That gave us the first-mover advantage.
2) LISTEN. Understand the concerns (and headaches) of organisations. What is everyone talking about in town? New clients called us because we offer the latest product. We put together workshops on Hybrid Working in 2022, before COVID was over and companies were still grappling to develop processes and systems for hybrid work.
3) GROW. Look beyond the shores of Singapore. Expansion overseas is necessary and brings credibility. Being able to work with clients in cities across the globe, including New York, Paris, and London, is not just a proof of concept, but a testimony of good work that cuts across cultures.
4) ENGAGE. Make participation in the workshop easy. Remember, many participants are munching their food while listening to the facilitator. A simple show of hands is sufficient, and abstain from complex group activities.
5) CAPTIVATE. Employees see lunchtime as private time. Learning can be serious, but let’s make it fun so that they enjoy as much as they learn.
So what is next for the next 15 years? While these 5 principles will continue to be relevant, the speed of change is faster than ever in the age of AI. Our focus now is on results to help our clients stay competitive.
What do you think? What would you like to learn next? Talk to us.
Authored by Tan Teck Beng without the assistance of AI
