Walking Meetings: Advantages of Taking that Meeting Outside for a Walk

Diane Jenquin contributed this post. Click here for more of Diane's thinking.

In this busy, hectic world we live in it is hard to fit in another meeting, let alone taking time to get that much needed brain break in. In the school district I am in right now we have turned to implementing walking meetings on our WOW days (Work-Out Wednesday) It is amazing how we not only get the exercise but mix a little socialization and brainstorming into the equation.  When the walk is done, so is our meeting.  It helps us stay on track and straight to the point of the meeting.

Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerman, Ariannah Huffington,and President Barack Obama are known for holding walking meetings.  Why you might ask? Research coming out of Stanford found that walking boosts creative inspiration (Wong, 2014). Other companies have reported that meetings with movement create a better working atmosphere along with getting away from the office.  

Some of the things to consider when holding a walking meeting are limiting the size of the group because your team might have trouble hearing others, having a basic route planned out, and limiting the use of smart phones. This allows you to keep focused, be efficient, and clear your head.

Carrying this over into my life outside of school has become a routine where instead of talking on the phone with some of my professional networks, we call and say, "Let’s go for a walk." This has pushed us to get out there and together solved all the problems of the world.

Here are some resources if you would like more information.

• "Got a Meeting? Take a Walk" (a TED talk from Nilofer Merchant)
• "Why Walking Meetings can be Better than Sitting Meetings" (an article from HuffPost Business)
• "Guide to Walking Meetings" (from Feet First)
• "Why Everyone from Beethoven, Goethe, Dickens, Darwin to Steve Jobs Took Long Walks and Why You Should Too" (from Andrew Tate)