2. Intro
Welcome to the Lunch & Learn team!
We’re extremely excited to share this new project with you and have created this tool
kit as a guide to help as you prepare to launch this program.
This project first came about in Chicago where, as an AdOps team, we’ve realized
that there aren’t many chances to know what is going on outside of our four AdOps
“walls”. Because of limitations in being exposed to learnings about other roles, outside
developments, and opportunities to share our point of views regularly within our team,
we decided an optional Lunch & Learn session would be a great way to get in a room
to do just that!
Lunch & Learn’s mission is to cross-borders outside of our AdOps universe in order
to build relationships, learn new skills, and plan for transformation (big or small). By
doing so, we hope to create an expanded knowledge base and understanding by sharing
these insights during a monthly lunchtime gathering that focuses on specific areas of
interest. In other words; we want to give the people what they want!
We hope you’re as excited as we are to bring this to your office and share experiences
with us as we continue to grow this program to new heights.
In the following pages you will gain Lunch & Learn insights into the below:
• Mission/Vision/Goals
• What LnL is
• What LnL isn’t
• Themes
• Regional Office Lead Roles & Responsibilites
• Planning Tips/Ideas
Cheers!
Charis Romanach & Danielle Schaffrath - Project Leads
Camdin Clanton - Leadership Sponsor
3. Mission, Vision, & Goals
Mission
• Cross borders
• Build Relationships
• Learn Something!
• 360° Understanding
• Build off of Project Excellence
• Get those Skills - we love “Little Ts”!
Vision
Create expanded knowledge and understanding by sharing insights on lunchtime
sessions focused on specific areas of interest.
Project Goals
1. Complete one Lunch & Learn session per month per participating office
2. Help people identify personal transformations - big or small!
3. Connect with cross-functional teams and cross borders
4. What it is
To help keep us aligned with our mission, vision, and goals, we wanted to take some
time to describe a few things Lunch & Learn is.....
• Valuable
We are all planning this so we want to make sure we are driving value for
us and our teams - it’s by the people for the people!
• Flexible
While we do have the three themes identified there is definitely flexibility in
what content is covered during each Lunch and Learn. These themes exist to help
your brainstorm sessions.
• Fun, Community Builder
A big chunk of our time is spent at work. We want this program to make work
an even more fun place and create an even more supportive environement where
we really get to know the people we spend 8 hours a day with!
• Engaging & Interactive
Our goal is to deliver Lunch & Learn sessions where attendees are invited to
share thoughts, ask questions, and really enjoy their time spent with us.
5. What it isn’t
... and a few things Lunch & Learn is not:
• Mandatory
We’re not about the “have to” game. We want the team to come only if they are
deriving value from the sessions and it’s our job to make sure that is the case with
every session/workshop. Participation is completely voluntary.
• Another Meeting
The truth is...we have a lot of meetings at LinkedIn. We don’t want this to be another;
which is why we have created this toolkit that will help us from falling into
meeting mode.
• A Speaker Series
While we will have guests coming to the sessions, this won’t be a primarily
guest driven initiative. Hearing from cross-functional teams and outside
industry leaders is just one of our pillars; not the entire structure.
• Time-Consuming & Stressful
As regional leads, you’re probably thinking how much of your time and how
complex it is going to be putting these shindigs together. If it’s becoming time
consuming & stressful, you’re doing it wrong! These are meant to be straightforward,
simple sessions & maintaining them as such is the only way we’ll be able to keep it
running and grow the program.
• Boring & Structured
No one likes to be talked at. No one likes to sit in a room for an hour listening to a
boring presentation. No one wants to waste their time. We want these sessions to be
interactive, short, and fun!
• Unnoticed
These sessions are going to be specifically tailored to do what teams are meant to; be
together. Not just in a physical space, but to come together to grow with one
another and build each other up. These little ‘T’s’ might start small, but the point is
they have to start somewhere to become big later on. We hope Lunch & Learn can
help launch those noticable little ‘t’s’ for you and your team.
6. Themes & Roles/Responsibilites
THEMES
A Day In the Life - Career Transformation; presentation focused
Building Blocks - Professional Development; activity focused
General Assembly - Open Forum; discussion focused
Regional Office Lead ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Time Commitment: 4-6 hrs/month
Content Planning Session
a. Brainstorm session around the themes to discuss what to cover
b. Work with your office’s team leads to reach out to potential speakers
c. Collect any articles/videos/content
d. Prep a loose agenda to create excitement about the session
Content Collecting
a. Prepare for your session
b. Finalize speakers and content
c. Create any worksheets that you might need for the session
Lunch & Learn Execution - host your session & have fun!
Wrap Up Summary
a. Send your office team members a summary of the session and any follow ups
b. Send Project Leads a summary of the session, how things went and any
content/material that was covered for upload to the website repository
Global Team Lead Monthly Meeting
a. Call with Project Leads and Executive Sponsor
b. Reflect on how things are going
c. Share feedback from local office participants
7. Planning Tips/ideas
Sample Timeline of Planning
Content Planning Session Week 1
Content Collection Week 2
Host your event! Week 3
Wrap Up Summary Week 4
Some content ideas
A Day In the Life - Career Transformation; presentation focused
Survey your local team to identify if there are any specific roles they want to
know more about. Once those roles are identified find someone who has that role
and ask them to come to the Lunch & Learn session to give a run through of what
their day to day is like, who they are, what their backstory is, what their impact is
on LinkedIn’s business over all, and any skills they require for their role.
Building Blocks - Professional Development; activity focused
Is it time for your team to update their outdated profiles? How about identifying
personal strengths and how those strengths fit into their careers? Want to have
your team create a customized online development and learning plan? Does
everyone have a “Personal Board of Directors”? These are just a few ideas to get
the ball rolling!
General Assembly - Open Forum; discussion focused
While this is definitely our most flexible theme of Lunch and Learn this is your
opportunity to really focus on something that isn’t traditional to Ad Ops and will
spark great discussion within your team! Find an interesting article you want the
team to read or consider screening a TED talk but definitely prepare discussion
questions based on the content.
8. “Ad Ops world is a fast
paced changing world and
the L&L initiative is a
fantastic program to help
each of us keep up to date
(and fed ;-) ). I wouldn’t miss
it!”
- Carine Roman
Head of Global Ad Ops
“Learning and lunch? That’s
an unbeatable combination!
This is a great program, built
by Ad Ops for Ad Ops. I’d
strongly encourage all of you
to check it out.”
- Brain Frank, VP GSO
“I believe strongly in this program to
encourage our team to focus on the small, daily
transformations they can make which can impact
both the professional and personal. I also believe
people are feeling happier and healthier and are
more thoughtfully thinking about their future
goals both here at LinkedIn and in personal areas
outside of work.”
- Camdin Clanton, Ad Ops Team Lead
“It’s an hour to look forward to learning
about the many avenues of LinkedIn,
ask the big “what if questions” and even
personal intention and reflection time. My
favorite part is the content of the meetings
bring together the perfect part of discussion
and thinking time; giving us a chance to
place aside our day to day tasks for a bit.”
- Beth Hoffman, LMS CM
“I’ve loved getting together as an AdOps team to chat
about topics ranging from different roles at LinkedIn to
gratitude and living with intention. Always interesting sub-
ject matter, always great conversations. After each Lunch
& Learn, the thoughtful discussions and insights stay with
me long after we’ve Lunched & Learned, especially the
gratitude/happiness one...my favorite, for sure.”
- Andrea Toburen, LTS CM
“It’s really easy to get lost in
our own day-to-day activities
and forget to think about ways
to improve both ourselves and
the company. These L&Ls
provide the opportunity to fur-
ther build relationships in our
local office by bringing
together Ad Ops and other
cross functional partners.”
- Steve Ertmer, LND CM
“Lunch & Learn’s have created a
comfortable setting of openness
that allows everyone to freely
express their thoughts and ideas
to inspire others. You walk away
with insight and skills that are both
applicable to work and daily life.”
- Emi Nakamura, Ad Ops Manager
“Even though I sit right by you all - we rarely talk about
our different skills, career paths, etc. The lunch and
learn format was a great way to spark conversations that
didn’t often come up organically. Can’t wait to attend
another one!”
- Brad Sokola, Insights Analyst and L&L Presenter
“I have seen a growing camaraderie
and compassion when we have group
discussions on non-work specific
topics centered on the improvement of
self. Overall, the sessions have helped
to foster a stronger team mentality in
our office.”
- Kelly Vallone, Ad Ops Manager
Have Fun!
