Meetings On The Move

Execs from some of the most innovative companies in the world including Google, Facebook and LinkedIn hold meetings on the go to stay productive, focused and creative (Ruth Umoh, 2018).

Apple founder Steve Jobs was often seen strolling with his chief designer as they brainstormed new concepts. And in the biography "Steve Jobs," he insisting that their meetings take place on foot (Ruth Umoh, 2018). The author soon realized that “taking a long walk was his preferred way to have a serious conversation.” (Kara Goldin, 2018)

At Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg reportedly takes potential employees on a walk through the woods before delivering his hiring pitch. Google's Sundar Pichai uses walks to jumpstart his thinking process (Ruth Umoh, 2018).

Moving meeting is a science-backed way to generate new ideas. According to a Stanford University study, walking boosts creative thinking by an average of 60 percent (Ruth Umoh, 2018).

To gauge the effects of walking on creativity, researchers asked 176 college students to complete certain tasks while sitting, and then again while walking. In one experiment, participants were given several sets of three objects and told to come up with alternative uses for them (Ruth Umoh, 2018).

The researchers found that participants were "overwhelmingly" more creative when walking than sitting. They also found that creative thinking from walking remained high shortly after sitting back down (Ruth Umoh, 2018).

Walking improves cognitive function by increasing blood flow to the parts of the brain that deal with learning and memory. In fact, just 12 minutes of walking can increase attentiveness and boost your mood, according a 2016 study (Ruth Umoh, 2018).

Taking meetings on the road also helps you remain focused in addition to the obvious fitness benefits, says LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner. He wrote in a LinkedIn post, "this meeting format essentially eliminates distractions, so I find it to be a much more productive way to spend time."(Ruth Umoh, 2018)

Virgin Group founder Richard Branson agrees. When walking, he sometimes challenges himself to come up with a "plan of attack" within the time it takes to complete one block (Ruth Umoh, 2018). 

"I find it to be a much quicker way of getting down to business, making a decision and sealing the deal," he wrote on his blog. "Plus it's a great way to fit in a bit of exercise and stay focused on a busy day." (Ruth Umoh, 2018)

Here are four tips for productive Meetings On The Move:-

1. Stick to One-On-Ones 

When you’re walking side-by-side, it’s harder to direct conversation and attention to multiple people. That’s why one-on-ones work better for walking meetings (Kara Goldin, 2018).

2. Plan a Route 

If your meeting is scheduled for 30 minutes, plan a walk that will take that long. Just remember to take into account the fitness of the other person. It’s ok to include a 10-minute rest stop on a park bench halfway round if needed (Kara Goldin, 2018). 

3. Review Relevant Documents in Advance 

If elaborate presentations and briefing materials are necessary, I like Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’s idea that relevant documents should be shared and reviewed ahead of the meeting. This is crucial for walking meetings so be clear that you expect documents to be shared in advance and build time into your schedule for reviewing them (Kara Goldin, 2018).

4. Follow-Up With Notes Immediately 

When you return from your walk, make notes before you get distracted by your inbox, phone and everything else going on in your day. This is your only chance to capture any major takeaways (Kara Goldin, 2018). 

Edited by: 浪子

Bibliography

Ruth Umoh. (2018). The Meeting Hack Loved by Ceos at Google, Facebook and Linkedin. Retrieved from 
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/23/why-ceos-at-google-facebook-and-linkedin-love-walking-meetings.html

Kara Goldin. (2018). Why Meetings on the Move Should Be the New Normal (and How to Ensure They're Productive). Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/karagoldin/2018/04/20/why-meetings-on-the-move-should-be-the-new-normal-and-how-to-ensure-theyre-productive/#7f44459f5668