Change of Scenery

Ted Eytan, M.D., has been known to board a convention shuttle bus and pull people off, exhorting them to walk instead.

“People think that because the shuttle bus is there, they have to take it,” says Eytan, physician director, Center for Total Health at Kaiser Permanente, the largest nonprofit health system in the country. But you don’t — and studies show that walking instead is better for meetings as well as for your health. Here are five reasons to make your next meeting a walking one.

1. It’s more efficient. “Walking is definitely more productive than sitting in an office,” says David Haimes, senior director, financial applications development for technology giant Oracle, who holds weekly one-on-one encounters with his direct reports as walking meetings, and is now walking about 12 miles a week.

2. There are fewer distractions. “Nobody is sticking their head into the office with an unrelated question,” explains Haimes.

3. You’ll remember more. Kaiser’s Eytan says that research shows that walking meetings help participants retain more information. “When you’ve traveled with someone, you tend to retain more than if you sit in a room with nondescript art on the walls,” he says.

4. Walking meetings are more interactive. You can’t look at your phone or a whiteboard, or even take notes well when you’re walking, Eytan says, encouraging more dialog and exchange of ideas. “If this meeting is about you taking notes on what I’m saying, we don’t really need to meet. I should just send you an email,” he adds.

5. Walking meetings are good for sensitive topics and emotional situations.
   “When people walk, their neurochemistry rearranges in such a way that they become more comfortable, more compassionate and more open,” Eytan says.

Steps to a good walking meeting:

• Plan ahead. Let your attendee(s) know ahead of time that you plan to walk, so they can bring appropriate footwear and outerwear as needed.

• Consider your pace. Let the other party dictate how fast you walk, so they don’t feel uncomfortable.

• Limit the size. One-on-one is ideal, and more than three or four is generally unwieldy for walking.

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