Now, wouldn’t you rather be outside on a gorgeous summer day than stuck inside the office? I think so! Here’s an idea: it’s summer, why not work outside?
Instead of sitting inside to hold your meeting, try a walking meeting. Walking meetings have shown many benefits for employees and can increase productivity in the office. Not to mention, working outside is FUN, you won’t even realize you’re still at work!
What does the walking meeting have to offer?
- Time outdoors
- Exercise
- Daily vitamin D intake
- Spark in creativity
- Decrease in employee burnout
The perfect uses for a walking meeting:
Brainstorming
Since walking meetings can be especially helpful in sparking creativity (walking can increase creativity by as much as 60 percent) try taking your brainstorming sessions outside.
Decision Making
You have an important decision to be made. Maybe this involves confrontation with a co-worker or just a typical discussion. See what Seth Goldman, president of Honest Tea has to say about walking meetings for decision making.
Who are proponents of the walking meeting?
The very successful Steve Jobs (Apple), Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) and Jack Dorsey (Twitter). They seem to have come up with some pretty creative ideas. Perhaps their walking meetings are to thank for this.
The health benefits of a walking meeting:
Most people who work in an office rarely have the opportunity to get up and move. Meetings are the perfect opportunity to get on your feet and get a change of scenery during the day. Summer is the PERFECT time for walking meetings. Just one hour-long walking meeting a day can increase your activity level and help achieve your exercise goals. Even just the act of getting up out of your chair will increase oxygen flow and help you think better.
How to make the most of your walking meeting:
- Don’t forget to wear sunblock!
- Wear comfortable shoes.
- Bring a pen and paper in case you want to jot down notes.
- Consider leaving electronic devices at the office (they can be very distracting).
Think of it this way. In your walking meeting you will: get work done, be active and have fun outside. Why wouldn’t you want to work outside?
