Business Culture Tip: Eating At The Office

Eating habits in every country can be a little different. In Myanmar office eating habits can create a great staff bonding time or it can create some awkward situations. So here are some do’s and don’ts for eating at the office.

Do

Office Treats for Staff On Your Birthday
Myanmar has a fun birthday culture. As the person with a birthday you are supposed to treat your friends. Your friends don’t treat you. So people often bring snacks to the office to share. If you are the boss its nice to bring treats for your staff or even buy lunch is nice too.

Birthday Cakes
Everyone still likes to be noticed on their birthday. In our office we get a cake for everyone’s birthday. The staff will get together and enjoy the cake at lunch or in the midafternoon during a short break.

Special Lunches Planned Ahead
Everyone likes a free lunch. It’s nice for them to get something nice that they may not normally buy for themselves. Let the staff know a day before so they can plan their schedule.

Offer Cheap Lunch Options near your office of offer inhouse
If you have a larger company it’s nice to offer a lunch option for your staff. This can be you ordering box lunches for everyone, cheap lunch delivery options, or giving them a list of area shops that they can go to. Most of the time they will spend between 1,200 MMK – 3,000 MMK on their lunches.

Don’t

Eat With Your Staff
Ok I eat with my staff often but its because I’ve known most of them for more than a year. A boss eating with their staff can make them feel awkward. They feel more comfortable eating together away from the manager or boss. Not so they can talk about you, but so they can chat with each other. Get to know them first before eating with them.

Plan Meals For Staff without letting them know
No one likes surprises when they bring their own meals. Most people will bring their lunch to work unless lunch is provided by the company. So let them know ahead of time so they don’t bring their own lunch.

Expect Them To Eat Food From Your Country
Every country has super tasty food, to the people of those countries. But most Myanmar people don’t eat much more than rice and noodles. A lot of them haven’t tried any food from other countries. So if you do a special lunch or bring food from your own country, make sure you have other options they will like for sure. It’s never bad to have a rice or noodle option. Let them know you are ok if they don’t like the food from your country. It can be embarrassing to be forced to try something knowing you aren’t sure if you’ll like it.

In conclusion, give your staff space to eat, celebrate them often, bless them with tasting food as often as you think they need it, and always put them in a position of comfort.

By- Ryan Russell (CEO of Myanmar Business Answers)