Enjoy the lunch break together, listen to exciting lectures and even get treated to a meal: Does that sound good to you? Our colleagues from the Tech & Product department agree, which is why they meet regularly for brown bag sessions. Find out all about the concept in this article!
What are brown bag sessions?
Knowledge exchange and networking are at the heart of brown bag sessions. Employees from the Tech & Product team meet on an ad-hoc basis for a joint lunch, accompanied by one or more presentations. After each presentation there is time for open questions and discussion.
It usually kicks off promptly at noon, with each session scheduled for one hour. Participation and presentation of a topic are voluntary. Anyone who wishes to take part can sign themselves up. Of course, food and drink are provided at brown bag sessions. Each participant receives a voucher which they can use to order food.
Why are the meetings called brown bag sessions?
The idea for brown bag sessions originates from the USA. The name references brown paper bags, which used to be a common way of transporting a packed lunch.
The brown lunch bags gave this type of meeting its name. Other names for the concept include “lunch and learn” and “lunchtime meeting”. (Source: stock.adobe.com/Timothy Masters)
What kind of topics are covered?
The range of topics is wide: In addition to presentations on best practices from engineering, new technical solutions and modern software tools, the agenda often includes presentations on personal development. These soft skills – such as time management or meeting moderation – round off an otherwise primarily technology-orientated range of topics.
Dmitrii, the organiser of the event, emphasises how brown bag sessions act as a platform where participants can exchange ideas and project progress within the company.
I believe, in any company there are projects, processes or ideas, which are clever, original, and they are something that colleagues could learn from. In mid- or big-size organizations, it is impossible to stay connected with everyone and stay informed about all initiatives, and this is why we organize brown bag sessions.
Dmitrii, Engineering Manager
Brown bag sessions are a meeting place where different ideas and processes converge. (Source: iStock.com/metamorworks)
All the ideas are submitted independently by the participants and entered into a list. Then a vote takes place to decide which topics will be presented in a session. Although Dmitrii’s initial intention was to generate awareness of the events among colleagues, the format is now well established. The speakers themselves select topics that are important to them, sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm with their colleagues. This opinion is also shared by Cameron, who gave a presentation on “FinOps observability and sustainability” during a brown bag session.
My motivation for presenting in the Brown Bag sessions is about trying to build excitement and passion for our platform. DevOps, infrastructure, platform – these concepts are often hidden away, but are powerful systems behind the great technological achievements of the past half century. I hope to inspire others to be passionate about infrastructure and cloud computing.
Cameron, Senior Technical Product Manager
What other added value do the sessions offer?
Communication is the key to success – this saying also applies to our company. By sharing knowledge across team and department boundaries, we make it accessible to others and thus create the basis for productive collaboration. Brown bag sessions also provide an opportunity for colleagues who do not otherwise work together on a regular basis in their day-to-day work to exchange ideas. They also help us to stay in touch across teams, even when working remotely.
Dmitrii also knows how positive the sessions are for communication within the company.
It is not the first company where I’ve moderated such an event. Every time, I see that it fosters better communication and best practices exchange between teams.
Dmitrii, Engineering Manager
Continuously educating yourself and keeping up to date with the latest developments is essential, especially in the fast-moving tech industry. That’s why brown bag sessions are an attractive way of staying on top of rapid progress.
Our industry moves fast and develops rapidly – every year, new and exciting technology and software drive the standards of excellence higher and higher. This is why it is so important to put aside the time to learn about new innovations and broaden our knowledge base. Brown bag sessions enable us to do this, learn about the challenges our colleagues face, and meet people that could be a country away, all in a neat package!
Cameron, Senior Technical Product Manager
We wish all participants a fun and insightful time at our brown bag sessions.