Walking Meetings

The best conversations don’t always happen across a table — sometimes they happen side by side, in motion. What if we stopped scheduling sit downs and started walking instead? I’ve been trading coffee shops for sidewalks and bar stools for park paths. Every time I do, the meetings get more honest, more creative, and more human. I talk better when I walk. I think better when I talk. Ideas move more freely when my feet do. The rhythm of walking seems to quiet the noise and make space for what matters. Defensiveness drops. The conversation feels less like a performance and more like people solving something together. What I have learned: • Movement unlocks thinking. In controlled experiments, walking boosted creative idea generation during and shortly after the walk (Stanford Graduate School of Education) • Environment unlocks connection. Side-by-side conversations feel less confrontational and help people open up, which is part of why walking meetings often feel more candid (UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience) • Changing how you move can change how you lead. Walking meetings add physical activity to the workday and are linked with better engagement and focus (Harvard Business Review) If we have a meeting coming up, lace up your shoes! #Leadership #Habits #WorkStyle #ThinkingInMotion #WeExistToGrowEachOther

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲-𝗼𝗻-𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴. Most professionals don’t move enough. For remote workers, it’s often just a walk to the kitchen or restroom and back. This is the new “Zoom-ba.” 😊 When I was an IT executive, some of my best 1:1s didn’t happen in my office, they happened on sidewalks or trails. No computer. No desk. Just a walk and a real conversation. These days, I work with my wife, and walking work conversations are a daily ritual. It’s where we think, laugh, reconnect, and occasionally solve the world’s problems (or at least our calendar). Walking 1:1s have serious upside: • 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲.   Side-by-side makes it easier to speak freely.    • 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗸𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝗮𝗿.   Movement fuels creativity. (Science says so.)    • 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁.   The rhythm of footsteps opens up better dialogue.    • 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.   No dings. No pings. Just trees and talk.    • 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆.   For your body, your mind, and your relationships.    • 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲.   Literally and mentally.    Steve Jobs was known for his walking meetings, sparking creativity and fostering candid conversations. Now, not everyone can meet in person. But there is a better version of “Zoom-ba”: • Put the AirPods in. • Turn the camera off. • Head outside. • Start walking. • Let the ideas flow. #WalkAndTalk  #LeadershipHabits  #RemoteWork  #ExecutivePresence

During COVID, I wrote an article for Harvard Business Review called “Don’t Underestimate the Power of a Walk”. Well, I definitely underestimated the power of this article as it became the 5th most shared article in HBR history — and today I’m being interviewed for a documentary about a group of friends who walk together every Sunday as a way of staying healthy (mentally and physically) and connected. If you CAN walk (and I know not everyone can), here are 5 ways to walk with purpose: 1. Walk for perspective. Next time you’re stuck on a problem, schedule a 15-minute walking break. Allow your mind to wander as your feet move forward. Notice how solutions often appear when you stop forcing them and instead create space for your subconscious to make connections your conscious mind missed. 2. Walk for connection. Transform your next one-on-one meeting into a walking meeting. The natural rhythm of walking together creates psychological safety that static face-to-face interactions sometimes lack, making difficult conversations flow more easily and authentically. 3. Walk for learning. Pair your daily walk with podcasts, audiobooks, or courses to transform movement into productive learning time. Your brain forms stronger neural connections when learning happens simultaneously with physical activity, improving retention and creative application of new information. 4. Walk for gratitude. Use walking as a mindfulness practice by intentionally noticing three things you’re grateful for with each outing. This simple habit rewires your brain to spot opportunities rather than obstacles, building resilience against workplace stress and overwhelm. 5. Walk for creativity. Bring a small notebook or use your phone’s voice memo feature to capture ideas that emerge during walks. Some of history’s greatest thinkers - from Darwin to Einstein - credited walking as essential to their creative process. Your next breakthrough idea might be just a few steps away. #connection #friendship #wellbeing https://lnkd.in/gkd-nPd2

Sitting is the new smoking. 8 hours in a chair kills your health—and productivity! I take up to four walking meetings daily. That’s two hours of talking business while moving my feet. I started this habit 10 years ago. What began as a personal habit has turned into my ultimate productivity hack! If you’re still stuck in endless sit-down meetings, you’re missing out. Walking meetings aren’t just a breath of fresh air. They’re a game-changer for creativity, focus, and even leadership! ➡️ Great Minds Walked—So Should You History proves it: walking fuels great thinking. ↳ Aristotle taught while strolling—his students were called Peripatetics (Greek for “walking around”). ↳ Steve Jobs held walking meetings for brainstorming, problem-solving, and high-stakes negotiations. They both knew something:  Movement unlocks the mind. A Stanford study backs it up. Walking boosts creativity by 60%! Even a treadmill facing a blank wall works. In my experience, the best ideas never come from a boardroom. They come from a sidewalk! ➡️ Productivity & Health in One Simple Habit Eight hours in a chair leads to burnout, sluggishness, and long-term health issues. Meanwhile, walking: ↳ Boosts focus — Movement sharpens the brain, helping you stay alert. ↳ Reduces stress — Walking lowers cortisol and blood pressure. ↳ Improves health — Eleven thousand steps a day can cut obesity risk by 64%. ↳ For those with ADHD (like me), walking clears mental fog like nothing else. But even if you don’t have ADHD, you know the feeling—stepping away from your screen resets your mind instantly! ➡️ Better Meetings, Stronger Teams Ever noticed how a walk with a friend feels different from a sit-down chat? That dynamic applies to business too: ↳ Break down hierarchies — No intimidating conference tables. Just side-by-side conversation. ↳ Encourage honest dialogue — People feel more at ease, making discussions more open and productive. ↳ Eliminate distractions — No buzzing phones, no screens—just real engagement. Some of my quietest team members have opened up more during a 20-minute walk than in months of boardroom meetings! ➡️ How to Make Walking Meetings Work ↳ Start small — Begin with one-on-one check-ins or brainstorms. No laptops needed. ↳ Keep it short — 20 to 30 minutes max. Walking naturally sets a time limit. ↳ Plan a route — Pick a quiet path where you won’t be facing traffic. ↳ Capture key ideas — Use voice notes or send a quick follow-up email after. ↳ Make it inclusive — Ensure everyone is comfortable, and offer alternatives if needed. ➡️ Takeaway Walking meetings have transformed my life. More focus. More creativity. More energy. So next time you have a one-on-one meeting, step out of the office! ➡️ Now, Over to You Do you think walking meetings are the future of the workplace? Happy walking, my fellow entrepreneur! #Entrepreneurs #Entrepreneurship #Startups #Founders #VentureCapital ♻️ Repost to inspire someone to take action.

Want to level up your meetings? Try walking. We’re all used to hopping on back-to-back Zoom calls or heading to the nearest co-working space. You don’t need me to explain how tiring and unproductive those can become. So instead of sitting back in your chair, get up and leave it behind. Walking is a superpower. It boosts creativity, increases energy, and helps clear your mind. But when you take that walk with someone else, something special happens. Walking meetings become more than just getting your steps in. They’re a way to unlock deeper conversations, build stronger relationships, and make better decisions. When you’re moving, you’re not stuck in one place. The physical act of walking helps your brain make new connections. It’s like hitting refresh. I’ve had some of my best ideas while walking with a colleague or client. Sitting across from someone in a traditional meeting can make things feel more formal and intense. But walking side by side creates a more relaxed, natural atmosphere, allowing for a free-flowing, open conversation without the pressure of a typical “meeting.” It’s also a shared experience, a chance to bond, connect on a human level, and truly listen to one another. Oh, and it reduces stress and increases endorphins, leaving you feeling refreshed, clear-headed, and ready to take on whatever comes next. So next time you’ve got a meeting, take it outside. You might find that the best ideas come when you’re moving, not sitting still.

All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking. — Friedrich Nietzsche 💡 Many people claim they do their best thinking when walking. Steve Jobs, famously known for his walking meetings, believed walking stimulated creativity and facilitated more open and creative conversations. 📈 Four different experiments from a Stanford study demonstrated that walking boosts creative ideation in real time and shortly after. The experiments included Sitting inside Walking outside Waking on a treadmill inside Being rolled outside in a wheelchair The result: walking opens up the free flow of ideas, enhancing creativity and divergent thinking. Walking strongly influenced the expression of what the researchers call “associative memory”. Associative memory is a fundamental aspect of our human memory that allows us to remember and connect different pieces of information. When walking, we present more ideas, and the ideas access our unique associative network, which leads to an increase in novelty. Plus, when we sit down after walking, the researchers found that we continue to be more creative even though we are no longer walking. 🌳 When working from home, I love taking quick, 15-minute walks at midday with no tech and focusing on my breath. 🤝 Same goes when working from the office; I love going out with colleagues to a place where we have to walk a bit. When I return, I feel much more energized and ready to start the afternoon. Illustration by me 😊 Extract from a research article from APA. Link to the complete source in the first comment 👇 #walking #creativity #personaldevelopment

Your brain isn’t tired. It’s just been sitting too long 👇 We call it “mental fatigue.” But often, the problem isn’t your brain It’s your body. After 20 minutes of sitting, your brain slows. After 20 minutes of walking, it lights up. Want sharper thinking, better leadership, and a calmer mind? Here’s how: 1/ Walk meetings ↳ Replace one 30-minute Zoom with a walking call, creativity increases by 60%. ↳ People open up more when they’re side-by-side, not face-to-face. ↳ Conversations flow naturally when bodies move and so do ideas. 2/ Step resets ↳ Every 90 minutes, take 5–10 minutes to move even around your office. ↳ Movement increases blood flow to the prefrontal cortex, your decision center. ↳ You’ll come back sharper, calmer, and less reactive. 3/ Idea walks ↳ Some of your best ideas won’t come from a whiteboard, they’ll come from the sidewalk. ↳ Walking increases divergent thinking (the science term for “thinking outside the box”). ↳ Capture thoughts in your phone notes; don’t trust your brain to remember brilliance. 4/ Morning motion ↳ Before you scroll or check messages, move. ↳ Morning sunlight + motion resets your circadian rhythm and dopamine levels. ↳ It sets your tone: grounded, focused, present. 5/ Post-lunch strolls ↳ That 2PM fog? It’s not laziness, it’s blood sugar and posture. ↳ Ten minutes of walking balances both. ↳ Skip the extra coffee; the walk is your caffeine. 6/ Walking = thinking ↳ Stillness breeds stagnation. Movement breeds clarity. ↳ The world’s best thinkers from Jobs to Aristotle all walked to think. ↳ You don’t need a bigger desk. You need a better rhythm. 7/ Leaders who move, lead better ↳ Walking improves emotional regulation and patience, two leadership superpowers. ↳ You return from a walk with a clearer head, not just a cleaner inbox. ↳ Your presence improves, and people feel it. Movement isn’t a break from leadership, it’s part of it. A still leader can’t inspire motion. Leaders who move, think better. Leaders who think better, lead better. ❓When’s the last time you walked for clarity, not just for steps? ________ ♻️ Repost if walking has ever sparked a breakthrough idea for you. 👋 Follow me (Dr. Chris Mullen) and get one actionable idea each week through my BETTER AT LIFE newsletter. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gJTcghKK

With end of the year deadlines fast approaching, it can be easy to focus deeply on work-related tasks without missing a beat—and without taking a break. This can get exacerbated when working from home, where you’re moving from meeting to meeting virtually. Research shows that intentional movement throughout the day is crucial for maintaining cognitive function and overall well-being - in fact, our last Dropbox-sponsored Economist Impact study, where we surveyed over 1,000 knowledge workers all over the globe, revealed that taking regular breaks can enhance focus, work quality, and even motivation. With this in mind, we piloted incorporating movement into meetings earlier this year and saw stellar results 🎉 - 67% of participants saw a decrease in Zoom fatigue, while 97% felt more energized on those days, seeing a spike in creativity and focus. And, we created a toolkit practice that supports recharging between bouts of deep work, and is designed to help anyone incorporate movement into their days by making some meetings mobile. Here’s how you can start: 1️⃣ Choose the right meeting: Not all meetings require a screen. Try mobile meetings for 1:1s, casual coffee chats, or non-essential calls. 2️⃣ Plan ahead: Consider where and how you’ll move. Will you move indoors, head to the park, or bring a mat for stretching? 3️⃣ Communicate: Shift the culture by suggesting a ‘Meet & Move’ to your team. Let them know it’s about recharging and staying productive. I am a huge fan of doing walk & talk 1:1s especially to start my day - adding 5-10 minutes of movement into your day can change the work that gets done and how good you feel while doing it. Check out more in our Virtual First toolkit 👇https://lnkd.in/g2TXpfUV #VirtualFirst #MeetAndMove #FutureofWork #Remote

Maybe, I have undiagnosed AD/HD but I love walk-n-talks When I worked in an office. several times a day, I would ask people ‘would you like  to take a walk?’ Downtown Minneapolis was good for walking. Fine weather,  you had the outside, and I had some great ‘secret paths to walk’ bad weather  there were/are the skyways. (a human habitrail spanning the whole city) Often we would find one of the ‘secret’ coffee spots I knew where one could have safe personal conversations and great coffee.. I work mostly remote now. And I still am addicted to walk-and-talks. each party puts on their headset, we walk.  and talk. Walking gets your blood flowing, ideas start to move. You’re not just talking, you’re moving forward- literally and figuratively. There’s a freedom,  the conversation feels  less formal, more open. Eye contact isn’t required,  tough topics  become easier to discuss. It’s a break from the screen,  a breath of fresh air,  for both the body and mind. Conversations becomes memorable, tied to an experience (walking through the park) sticking with you,  more vividly than a zoom. And when the walk ends,  you’ve covered more ground—  in your conversation, and in your day. I bought a headset specifically for this Shokz OpenComm2 https://lnkd.in/gyVmjeDS specifically for the boom mic the noise canceling is so strong I have walked by construction and even loud traffic and people shared that I was clear. This doesn’t replace my  airpod pro’s but I use it everyday. So get up and get out, take your next meeting on a walk.. (I am not paid nor asked to represent Shokz or any product, this is just a tip.. if any of you have a favorite headset please share in comments)

Need more movement in your day? I suggest replacing Zoom meetings with Walk and Talks. Earlier this month, I set a goal to move more. One of the biggest differences for me between working in an office and working from home is that my annual steps - on average - had been going down. For 2024, I've averaged less than 5k steps every month - until this month. What's made the most significant difference in my step counts? Trading out Zoom calls for Walk and Talks. It's made hitting a goal of 10,000 steps a day easy. I wish I would have made this change a while ago. For days when it gets extra hot outside, I've purchased a walking pad. I haven't replaced my desk with a sit-stand one yet (holding out for something extra special that can hold a full piano keyboard - that's another story for another day)... - But - If I am ever short on steps that day or find myself just scrolling on my phone. Instead of doing that sitting down, I'll get up and do it while walking now. I'm hoping to extend my streak well into September. Anyone with me?