Posted by Morag Barrett | November 4, 2014Get Walking and TalkingYou may have heard that sitting is the new smoking for the modern time, and watching my sons sitting in front of their computers, reflecting on my own time at my desk, I can certainly appreciate why.One simple solution (yes it is this easy) is the walking meeting. To walk and talk vs sit and speak. However to ensure that your walking meeting is a success and not a hot mess (important given that it is 90′ in Colorado today) here are three things to rememberLess is more.A walking meeting is ideal for two or three people at most. Think about it, when you are out with a group of friends, as soon as you have four people the group naturally walks in pairs. This limits the interactions, prevents everyone from hearing the full conversation and contributing their best. Three abreast, two together, the idea number for walk and talk. (You can also go alone, but this is more of a walk and think – still immensely valuable to your health so don’t be shy… go for a walk)Have a map.This a two fold. Where are you walking? Don’t turn this into a sweaty marathon, your colleagues will not thank you. Remember you all have to return to work and no doubt many traditional meeting room meetings. If you don’t have access to showers, or time to freshen up when you get back, make sure that everyone arrives back in a suitable state by planning the time of day and route you will be walking.The second part of having a map is to plan for the meeting. Be clear about what you want to discuss and decisions to be made during the meeting. Share this with your colleagues. This is not a magical mystery tour, make sure everyone know where you are going, literally.Plan aheadLet others know if you are planing a respite from the office and a walk around your office neighborhood or further. I for one will appreciate the heads up and will make sure I bring appropriate shoes. I can promise you, that I will not thank you if I have to walk a mile or two in heels!So don’t just sit there. Where can you wander and wonder out loud with your team.If you are curious to learn more then this short TED Talk by Nilofer Merchant where she talks about sitting being the new smoking of our generation… is great. Though one piece of advice… don’t walk and watch!Photo credit: Morguefile.comRelated ArticlesTags »communication Share