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I'm surprised he doesn't mention what I think is the #1 reason for going out for lunch: spending time with your coworkers that is not necessarily work focused.

by laureny 13y ago

I'm surprised he doesn't mention what I think is the #1 reason for going out for lunch: spending time with your coworkers that is not necessarily work focused. All the reasons he gives seem pretty weak: if you need a break, you can step outside the office for a walk or a coffee or even go read on a bench for 20mn without the activity being necessarily lunch. Eating lunch at your desk has benefits, such as allowing you to go home sooner or doing things at your computer that are not work related but which you enjoy doing (e.g. reading HN). The moral here is not "Always eat at your desk" or "Always eat outside" but "Don't always do the same thing".

msoad 13y ago
I decided to have zero "out of work focused" conversations with my co-workers at my new job. It's the best decision I made. Office politics was always against me because I was speaking with my co-workers about things I do outside of work. I learned that co-workers are no my friends. They are sometimes enemies
- crazygringo 13y ago
  Wow... I have always done the opposite. Lunch conversation with coworkers is always exclusively about non-work-related things. This way we actually get to know each other as people, and enjoy each other's company as human beings. It's a measure of human respect, in a way. Your coworkers might not be true "friends", in the sense that you're not going to hang out with them outside of work, but there's no reason to restrict getting to know them as people. I've never once had problems with 'office politics' resulting from getting to know people in a more genuine way. Of course, we all have private things that might be best for anyone but your closest friends not to know, I'm not saying share everything about your life, but I would be very sad if I worked at a place where I felt I couldn't just casually chat with the people I'm spending half my waking hours with.
- laureny 13y ago
  False dichotomy. It's true that they are not your friends but it doesn't mean that you should never interact with them, nor that you wouldn't enjoy (and maybe even learn from) spending time with them. You spend more time with your coworkers than with your family, so cutting this entire part out of your life for some nebulous principle is not socially smart.

by laureny 13y ago

msoad 13y ago

I decided to have zero "out of work focused" conversations with my co-workers at my new job. It's the best decision I made. Office politics was always against me because I was speaking with my co-workers about things I do outside of work. I learned that co-workers are no my friends. They are sometimes enemies

crazygringo 13y ago
Wow... I have always done the opposite. Lunch conversation with coworkers is always exclusively about non-work-related things. This way we actually get to know each other as people, and enjoy each other's company as human beings. It's a measure of human respect, in a way. Your coworkers might not be true "friends", in the sense that you're not going to hang out with them outside of work, but there's no reason to restrict getting to know them as people. I've never once had problems with 'office politics' resulting from getting to know people in a more genuine way. Of course, we all have private things that might be best for anyone but your closest friends not to know, I'm not saying share everything about your life, but I would be very sad if I worked at a place where I felt I couldn't just casually chat with the people I'm spending half my waking hours with.
laureny 13y ago
False dichotomy. It's true that they are not your friends but it doesn't mean that you should never interact with them, nor that you wouldn't enjoy (and maybe even learn from) spending time with them. You spend more time with your coworkers than with your family, so cutting this entire part out of your life for some nebulous principle is not socially smart.