Archives for June 9, 2025

Food has historically played a critical role in bringing people together or welcoming strangers into a community. This practice of eating together (or commensality) is also a part of some work cultures around the world. However, it is also an alien concept for many. Modern workplace cultures can make shared eating somewhat difficult. Whether or not people eat with others at work can vary based on many factors such as company and industry norms, workplace-timing arrangements, or even job status. So, what would happen if people who don’t normally share a meal at the office did so more regularly? We invited HBR readers to volunteer to collaborate with us on a 4-week experiment. The ask was simple: If they usually ate alone at work, we wanted them to reach out to a few colleagues to have lunch (nothing fancy; just their regular home-cooked meal) together at least once a week over a period of one month and send us their responses to three questions. We found some interesting patterns.

Flex time is an appealing benefit for most, offering the ability to take time during work hours to handle commitments at home. But sometimes the blessing of a flexible schedule can turn into what feels like a curse when you don’t have enough time during normal work hours to get your job done. There are ways to be more strategic with your time. First, set realistic standards for what is “enough” at work and at home. Next, clarify where you add most value in both realms. Third, set boundaries, even if it makes others unhappy. Finally, define times where you’ll be really “on”—and really “off.”