Corporate Diversity Breakfasts and Luncheons

Are you looking for ways to celebrate and capitalize on diversity in your organization? Consider holding a meal event where cultural and ethnic learning occurs. In order to truly capitalize on diversity, it is necessary to know the cultural norms, traditions, ways of thinking, and manner of behaving common to the cultural groups present in your company.

To hold a culture breakfast or lunch it is necessary to identify the cultural groups represented in your workplace. Begin by sending out an email asking all employees to provide information about the racial and ethnic origins by which they self identify. Sort the responses into like heritage groups and contact each group to recruit committee members who will be responsible for organizing their learning meal. Members of each committee will plan an event where the foods common to their culture will be served, and various members of the group will present the cultural norms of their heritage group.

Group members can be given a food budget so that they can buy ingredients and prepare the dishes of their culture themselves for a carry-in meal, or use the funds to hire an ethnic caterer to provide the meal. The entire organization is invited to the meal. While eating, the attendees will be treated to a presentation by employees of the culture being celebrated. They may show slides or videos relevant to their culture, or give brief presentations about their race or country of origin, and its people. Traditional dress of the culture can be worn and explained by presenters. A brief question and answer session can occur at the end of the presentation to involve the audience and enhance organization-wide understanding of the culture.

By holding a cultural learning meal on a monthly basis until each cultural group in the organization has been featured, the company has shown its commitment to diversity, and has fostered and celebrated cultural pride.