Aristotle, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg are just a few of history's most well-known figures. What is it that they have in common? Walking meetings. These incredible, brilliant minds used meetings to converse, educate, and reflect. Walking meetings' advantages were not missed on these well-known leaders, and maybe we can learn from them.

How many meetings have you or your workers hated attending? Have you ever dreaded sitting at the same boardroom table or even in the same office where you've sat for thousands of other meetings? With one of the latest business trends: walking meetings, it could become a thing of the past. This kind of meeting is precisely what it sounds like. Instead of holding a meeting in a traditional office setting, the meeting is held while walking.

The walking meeting involves coworkers, customers, or other stakeholders that happen while strolling to discuss anything. It is a meeting held outside when the weather is good or indoors when the weather is bad, rather than in conventional offices or a meeting room. A walking meeting is a fast and straightforward technique to stay healthy during working hours in today's environment where everything moves quickly, and there isn't enough time for everything.

Employees spend a considerable amount of their workdays at work–and on many of those days, they are mainly sedentary. A growing number of people work 'desk jobs,' which demand them to spend most of their time at a desk, usually behind a computer. Many businesses are making a significant move to encourage employees to be more active: they provide standing desks across the office and opt for walking meetings rather than meetings around a conference room table.

Why walk?

INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY

As you discuss the current difficulties on your desk, your blood is pounding, you see different views, and your brain is alert and engaged. Walking meetings also ensure everyone in the group is equally interested and focused on the topic being discussed. Walking meetings can also assist in reducing the amount of thoughtless eating your employees do because they will be out walking rather than snacking on whatever treats you have chosen to give for the meeting.

PROMOTE CREATIVITY

Participants' creativity and imagination skyrocketed in one study instead of those sitting in a standard meeting room. As discussion flowed freely, the number of solutions developed increased noticeably. The act of walking itself stimulates creativity both during and after walking.

FACILITATE DECISION-MAKING

Changing your working environment might offer your mind free play and lead to previously unconsidered solutions. Walking increases communications and aids in finding solutions. People are calmer and talk more freely about the topic at hand.

BETTER COMMUNICATION

Discussions with coworkers or during a team meeting are more pleasurable when enthusiastic, lively, and engaged. It is also an excellent approach to resolve problems; individuals are more prone to disagree when they are not face-to-face and cannot look each other in the eyes. 

BOOST WELL-BEING

Physical health improves due to increased movement through the day, and mental stability follows as a consequence of the natural light or different sights and the boost in moods that comes from action. Lower healthcare spending is an added benefit for organizations that use walking meetings to promote employee wellness regularly. Walking provides you energy, enhances your memory, promotes your socialization, and, most importantly, it boosts your mood. This significantly minimizes the tension that your packed schedule can cause.

REDUCE HIERARCHICAL DISTINCTION

Speaking alongside one another diminishes hierarchical and rank differences and puts people at ease in the conversation.

INCREASE COLLABORATION

During a walking meeting, every employee has the opportunity to speak with everybody. They have the freedom to move across the room, which changes the way individuals communicate. This easy technique can also bridge the divide between employees and management team members. When you go for a walk, it feels more like all of the team members are equal–which means improved collaboration and familiarity with everyone. Not only that, but employees who walk together can build stronger relationships, which can boost efficiency when they work together.

Alternative

We get that walking may not always work for whatever reason at a given time. Don't fret as there is another way to reap the similar benefits of walking-- standing meetings using standing desks.

Standing desks are designed to enable employees to work while standing. Some people prefer to walk in the place, while others prefer to shift positions all through the day, which standing desks provide. Standing desks can improve efficiency as well, because interested employees have far more energy and, in general, feel much better are more inclined to pay attention to the tasks that need to be completed each day.

For meetings, that would mean a desk with a little more surface area to accommodate more than a couple of people. FlexiSpot's Adjustable Standing Desk Pro Series Extra large desktop comes in two larger desktops in 72"x30" and 80"x30" and can be partnered with two types of Pro frames which are:

• Pro 2-stage: raises between 29" to 48.2" and has a weight capacity of 220 lbs
• Pro 3-stage: raises between 23.8" to 49.4 inches with a weight capacity of 275 lbs.

Other key features of this fantastic desk are:

• Dual Motor Lifting System: Each leg is powered by its motor in the dual-motor system, which considerably increases overall weight capacity while optimizing steadiness, speed, fluidity, quietness, and strength.
• Advanced All-in-one Keypad: With three memory height presets and a programmable sit/stand reminder system, you can easily switch positions and receive helpful alerts when it's time to stand.
• Durable and Stable Construction: The desk structure is made of powder-coated steel tubing, which resists scratches and stains and gives optimal stability even at the highest setting.

How to prepare for a walking meeting

• Check to see if the meeting is suitable for walking. Walking meetings are frequently the finest choices for brainstorming and decision-making meetings.
• The meeting should include an agenda, a purpose, a conclusion, and all other components of a regular meeting.
• These meetings are best for one-on-one meetings or gatherings with less than four individuals. Standing could be another approach to increase efficiency in more extensive sessions.
• Ask attendees if they are willing to participate in a walking meeting.
• The walking pace should be appropriate for everybody and should correspond to the speed of the slowest person.
• Ensure that the walking path is safe and permits all crowd members to arrive at the destination and return in the time allocated for the meeting.
• Consider a park, an intriguing cultural or historical destination, a landmark or statue that employees will love visiting and that will stimulate them. Try to avoid visiting places where staff may overspend on food or merchandise.
• Walking meetings may necessitate a little more planning due to the additional variables that come with being outside. Researchers discovered that you could accomplish this by giving roles to various members of the group.
• Make sure to have fun while out on a walk. Working outside can be a very pleasurable experience. Take it lightly so that employees are willing to try it again.

Final Word

The numerous advantages of walking meetings should persuade more businesses to include them in their workplace culture. They will discover greater creativity, performance, and engagement due to this underutilized experience as they progress. And who knows, maybe you'll unintentionally unleash the next genius from within your company's premises! A walking meeting can achieve significant advantages in many organizations with little preparation and little added expenditure. Happier employees, and happier employers, make for a more competent organization. Give walking meeting a shot and walk and talk your team to victory.