It is interesting to find that many social events that are organized by managers or teams for the purpose of getting employees to socialize outside of work hours (e.g. lunchtime or after work events) end up being seen as another opportunity for people to complain/discuss/gossip about work related topics. I think constructive discussions about work outside of the work environment over a meal or an activity can help generate new ideas. However, the type of complaint or gossipy type of conversation usually seems to contribute to the build-up of frustration may not be particularly productive.
For example, if there is a farewell lunch organised for someone leaving, having that person talk negatively about their experiences at work, or even positive things at work (if people know it hasn't been as pleasant as is being politely described) can be awkward. Instead it is much better to direct the focus away from work-related topics altogether.
In jobs where there are particular political or organisational issues there is a tendency for people to become a little bit too focused on talking about these topics, and it doesn't serve the purpose of getting people out of that head space so they can actually relax and try to get to know people better.
Are there strategies that have been successfully employed to help people focus on topics other than work related matters at these events? Or is it just difficult to do this since it is still a work related event?