--- title: "Walk Your Way To a More Productive Meeting" id: "28098" type: "post" slug: "walk-your-way-to-a-more-productive-meeting" published_at: "2015-04-16T11:58:44+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T13:51:31+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/04/16/walk-your-way-to-a-more-productive-meeting/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/04/16/walk-your-way-to-a-more-productive-meeting.md" excerpt: "If your usual meetings are feeling stale, try a different approach with a walking meeting. Research and experience have shown that these types of meetings may help increase creative thinking and camaraderie among coworkers." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Aspiring Leader" - "AssociationsNow" - "Business" - "Meetings" - "Mid-Level Professional" - "productivity" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Executive Team" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Walk Your Way To a More Productive Meeting If you’ve seen almost any episode of the *The West Wing*, you’re no doubt familiar with the show’s “[walk-and-talk (opens in a new tab)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il-DowDFDo4) ” scenes. Busy White House staffers whisk their way between offices and meetings while engaging in witty repartee with equally busy coworkers. Walking meetings, while fun to watch and, no doubt, choreograph for TV, are becoming more common in the real-life business world. At LinkedIn, walk-and-talks are “kind of a big deal,” [according to a recent article in The Huffington Post (opens in a new tab)](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/09/walking-meetings-at-linke_n_7035258.html) . The company’s California headquarters features a bike path that takes about 20 to 25 minutes to walk the full length, or just enough time for a brief walking meeting. In addition to the health benefits—[sitting is the new smoking (opens in a new tab)](http://www.ted.com/talks/nilofer_merchant_got_a_meeting_take_a_walk?language=en) , after all—LinkedIn employees also said walking meetings allow for fewer distractions (e.g., phone calls, email, interruptions from coworkers) and better camaraderie among colleagues. “You feel like you’re at the principal’s office,” Igor Perisic, LinkedIn’s vice president of engineering said of seated, face-to-face meetings. “That’s not what you want.” Walking, on the other hand, can be a less intimidating way to communicate. There’s less direct eye contact, and a more casual atmosphere may help participants feel more relaxed. Walking meetings may also prove more productive. Because walking has been [shown to help stimulate creativity (opens in a new tab)](http://news.stanford.edu/news/2014/april/walking-vs-sitting-042414.html) , heading outside for a walk around the block or along a bike path might be a great way to solve a problem you’ve gotten stuck on or to help brainstorm new ideas. “We’re not saying walking can turn you into Michelangelo,” [Marily Oppezzo (opens in a new tab)](http://aaalab.stanford.edu/about-us/marily-oppezzo/) , a professor and researcher who has studied the effects of walking on creativity, told *Stanford Report*. “But it could help you at the beginning stages of creativity.” If you’ve never taken a walking meeting before, here are a few tips to consider: - **Plan ahead.** Consider the route you will take, as well as the best time of day given the temperature outside, and don’t forget to tell participants in advance so they have appropriate footwear. - **Keep it small.**Migrating with a large group of people along a crowded street or narrow path may make it difficult for everyone to hear and contribute to the discussion. - **Throw in an incentive.**[In an article for The Guardian (opens in a new tab)](http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jun/02/walking-meetings-work) , Damien Clarkson suggests using a small amount of bribery if your coworkers are unsure about the idea of walking and talking. Offer to buy them coffee during the walk, for example. - **Set an agenda.**“A walking meeting is not just a walk on the beach; you are doing work,” wrote Beth Kanter in [a blog post (opens in a new tab)](http://www.bethkanter.org/npwalk-5tips/) detailing tips for effective walking meetings. “So it is important to lay out the topics for discussion and tasks.” Kanter also suggested taking time after the meeting to jot down notes about what was discussed. Have you ever tried a walking meeting? Let us know how it went in the comments. “The West Wing,” a show famous for its walk-and-talks. (NBCUniversal) [Katie Bascuas](https://associationsnow.com/author/katie-bascuas/) Katie Bascuas is a former associate editor at Associations Now in Washington, DC. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/katie-bascuas/) Tags: [#Aspiring Leader](https://associationsnow.com/tag/aspiring-leader/) [#Business](https://associationsnow.com/tag/business/) [#Meetings](https://associationsnow.com/tag/meetings/) [#Mid-Level Professional](https://associationsnow.com/tag/mid-level-professional/) [#productivity](https://associationsnow.com/tag/productivity/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoTerin Bates, MBA, CAE, CX-PRO, Shares Her Experience at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 18, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/18/terin-bates-mba-cae-cx-pro-shares-her-experience-at-the-2026-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [VideoThe Adaptive Leader: Integrating Values and Strategy to Thrive Under New LeadershipDecember 15, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/12/15/the-adaptive-leader-integrating-values-and-strategy-to-thrive-under-new-leadership/) - [VideoAssociations@Work with Benjamin Hopper: Money Makers Top Strategies for Increasing Non-Due RevenueSeptember 9, 2024](https://associationsnow.com/2024/09/09/associationswork-with-benjamin-hopper-money-makers-top-strategies-for-increasing-non-due-revenue/) - [VideoAssociations@Work with Michael Tatonetti: Starbucks Pricing Hacks for AssociationsSeptember 9, 2024](https://associationsnow.com/2024/09/09/associationswork-with-michael-tatonetti-starbucks-pricing-hacks-for-associations/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2015%2F04%2F16%2Fwalk-your-way-to-a-more-productive-meeting%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !